Victoria Part 1: Legacy
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Newlyweds, Victor and Yuuri have it all, but things go awry when a silver-haired child is dumped on their doorstep with a message identifying her as Victor's biological daughter. Traumatized by the sudden death of her mother, Victoria refuses to speak or to have anything to do with her new parents. But could a selfless act by Yuuri open the way to making them a family? Victor/Yuuri
1. Little Girl Lost

**Victoria**

 **By Spunky0ne**

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 **Newlyweds, Victor and Yuuri Nikiforov have it all, but things go awry when a silver-haired child is dumped on their doorstep with a message identifying her as Victor's biological daughter. Traumatized by the sudden death of her mother, Victoria refuses to speak or to have anything to do with her new parents. But could a selfless act by Yuuri open the way to making them a family? Victor/Yuuri**

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 **Chapter 1: Little Girl Lost**

Soft footsteps sounded in the darkened bedroom where Yuuri Nikiforov (formerly Yuuri Katsuki) laid, curled on his side and deeply sleeping. His tall, silvery-haired husband approached the bed slowly, admiring the adorable sleeping face of his Japanese spouse. He sat down at Yuuri's side, watching as the movement on the bed brought Yuuri awake, and he blinked his brown eyes slowly and focused on Victor, his expression both happy to see him, and sad to know they were about to say goodbye. Victor coaxed Yuuri into his arms, meeting him for several long, passionate kisses, before he sat back and squeezed Yuuri's hand comfortingly.

"I have to go now," Victor said in a regretful tone, "I still wish you could come with me, Yuuri."

"It would be fun," Yuuri agreed, "but I have to get ready for my first competition of the season. I'm going to miss you, Victor, but it'll be fine. You need to get out there and stir things up to get people excited about the new season."

Victor nodded.

"They'd be more excited to see us together," he mused, smiling, "but I agree, you're at a critical stage, getting ready for your competition. You need to focus on that. I won't be gone long, just a few days. Yakov is going to keep you so busy, you'll hardly know I'm gone. Just ask him anything you don't understand, and if he starts to yell at you, hug him. It usually surprises him so he'll stop. Yurio said he would practice the new combinations with you, so that's taken care of."

"And I'll keep working on improving my Russian," Yuuri promised, "That will give me something to do when I'm not skating, eating or sleeping."

Victor gave him a warm kiss on the lips and an amused look.

"You mean there are times we're not doing one of those three things?" he chuckled, "Take care of yourself, Yuuri."

"I will."

Victor dropped to one knee to pet the old tan poodle that laid on the bed next to his husband.

"You take care of Yuuri, Maccachin," Victor said, hugging the dog as the old poodle whined and licked the Russian skater's face, "And take care of yourself. Good boy."

He rose again and ran light fingertips along Yuuri's soft cheek.

"I love you."

"Love you too," Yuuri whispered back, watching quietly as Victor turned away and picked up his suitcase, then carried it out of the room.

He listened to Victor's retreating footsteps, then the sound of the front door opening and closing. Left alone with Maccachin in the now too quiet house, Yuuri rolled over in his bed and looked out the window, into the cloudy sky, where a flock of seagulls were flying by, emitting soft cries that reminded him instantly of the ocean in Hasetsu. He breathed slowly, mulling over the past year he had spent in Victor's home country, and the turns that their relationship had taken.

 _Living here with Victor is the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me. While it's true that we couldn't be married in either of our home countries and our marriage license isn't worth the paper it's written on, where we live, we feel a bond that's real, one we acknowledged when I took his surname. It doesn't really matter what the world calls us. We know who we are, and that's all that matters now. Victor and I are happy._

Yuuri's eyes blinked slowly and he yawned and hugged Maccachin, who thumped his tail on the bed and licked the young man's cheek.

 _We'll stay in Saint Petersburg until we retire from skaing_ , he mused silently, _then we've talked about going to settle down somewhere where our marriage will be acknowledged. I guess as much as we can be happy the way we are…everyone wants to be accepted._

 _I wonder sometimes if acceptance might be a problem with Victor's family. They didn't come to the wedding. When I asked Victor about it, he just said they don't talk. I think he meant they're not speaking, but from his tone, I knew not to ask about it. I do hope that someday he can talk to me about it, especially now that we're family._

Yuuri closed his eyes and curled closer to Maccachin, letting himself drift off again and sleeping for another hour before the alarm clock brought him awake and coaxed him out of bed. He deflated a little at the too quiet house and the lack of Victor's energetic presence, but revived himself with a quick shower, before dressing in his practice clothes and heading out to meet his spirited rinkmate. He found Yurio waiting on the bridge, a few blocks away from the house, in the company of a tall, serious-faced man, who was also a member of the skating elite.

"Hi Yurio," Yuuri greeted his friend, "Otabek. I didn't know you were visiting."

"Hey, pork cutlet bowl," Yurio greeted him, "He's not visiting."

"I have moved to Saint Petersburg now to train here," Otabek explained.

"Oh, that's great," Yuuri said, smiling.

"Here," Yurio said, tossing Yuuri a bag filled with still warm pirozhki, "They're fresh. I figured you'd need some company, now that Victor's off doing publicity. I'm surprised you didn't just say fuck it, and go with him."

"The competition's going to be extra tough this year," Yuuri said, an edge of anxiety in his voice, "and my program this year is really difficult."

"Well," said Otabek, "Victor wouldn't have given you that program if he didn't have confidence that you would master it. You're skating has been growing by leaps and bounds."

"Yours has been amazing," Yuuri said appreciatively, "It's hard keeping up with you."

"Thanks," Otabek replied, nodding.

"We should get going," Yurio suggested as Yuuri pulled out one of the pirozhki and started to eat, "Yakov will be in a pissy mood today, because his ex is going to be working with me on my new program. If I were you, Yuuri, I'd find a corner and just keep your head down and do your thing. It's a pain being around him when she's there, nagging him."

"I'll watch my step," Yuuri chuckled, "I feel sorry for you, having to put up with the two of them."

"Don't worry about me," Yurio huffed, playfully mocking him, "It's worth it to get a program I'm going to crush you with this year."

"You said that last year, didn't you?" Yuuri reminded him, exchanging a smirk with Otabek, "As I recall, Victor and I both beat you."

"The power of love," Otabek said in an amused tone.

"Hah!" Yurio scoffed, taking Otabek's hand, "Well, this year, I have that too."

"I think that's great," Yuuri said approvingly, "Bring it on."

The three young men fell in together, crossing over the bridge and completing the walk to the ice rink, where they checked in and sat down to put their skates on. Yuuri watched as each headed off to begin their training, giving a bored sigh at the thought of training without his lover there.

 _It's so funny. For most of my life, I wanted to train alone. I wanted to be alone. All I wanted to do was to be on the ice and to think about how much I wanted to be as good at skating as my idol, Victor._

 _So much has changed._

 _I don't want to be alone anymore. I look forward to every day with Victor, here or wherever we go together, whatever we're doing. And I have friends here now. Yurio hasn't changed at all. He still calls me names and teases me about my weight, even though I'm not overweight anymore. He's rude, but beneath the words, I feel the connection. I'm actually friendly with some of the other skaters here, too. Victor taught me a lot about putting myself out there and making friends. That's turning out to be a good thing. I miss him right now, while he's gone, but I'm okay._

"Yuuri!" Yakov snapped, "Stop daydreaming and get over here."

"Uh-oh," Yuuri sighed, climbing to his feet and stepping onto the ice.

"Get warmed up," the elder man said gruffly, "I don't have all day."

Yuuri nodded and began his warm ups, quickly falling into the routine that he and Victor used to structure their practice sessions. Within minutes, he was knee-deep in work on the step sequences for his programs, then spins and jumps. Time passed more quickly than he had thought it would, and soon practice was over and he was heading home.

"You want to go out somewhere?" Yurio asked as the two reached the bridge, "You must be bored with just the old dog at home."

"I'm working on my Russian," Yuuri said, taking his leave, "I'm getting better, but I have a lot to learn."

"You learn faster by talking to natives, you know," Yurio chided him.

"I know, but I'm tired. Yakov had me doing about a billion jumps before he was satisfied. I thought I was going to die on the last few."

"All right," Yurio said, smirking, "Go home and eat the rest of those pirozhki. See you tomorrow, pork cutlet bowl."

"Bye Yurio."

Yuuri headed back across the bridge, turning off on the far side to stop by the market on the way home. He strolled home slowly, in no hurry to be faced with the empty, too quiet house.

 _Maybe I should have taken Yurio up on his offer._

He turned the last corner and headed up the street, his mind on what he was going to make for dinner. It took him a moment to notice that there was something happening on the doorstep at his and Victor's home. A stern looking woman stood, scolding a little girl.

"Stay there!" she ordered the child, then she turned and hurried to a waiting car.

"What the…hey!" Yuuri called out, breaking into a run, "What are you doing? Where are you…?"

The car shot forward and disappeared down the street, leaving Yuuri staring after it in dismay. He stood, holding the grocery bag and trying to make sense of things, but only felt more confused as a little, scared whimper made him turn and look at the girl who had been left behind. He moved towards her in slow steps, staring at the silvery hair that was pulled up into a high ponytail, the wide, pretty blue-green eyes that he felt like he'd know anywhere.

 _What is this?_

 _What's going on?_

 _Who is she?_

"Hello," he greeted the trembling child in Russian, dropping down onto one knee and facing her, but keeping just enough distance not to frighten her more, "I am Yuuri Nikiforov. What is your name?"

The girl rubbed her teary eyes, but gave no answer.

"Do you speak Russian?" he asked in Russian.

The girl gave no answer.

"Do you speak English?" he asked in English.

 _Do you speak at all_? he wondered, _She looks scared to death. But I saw that she reacted to hearing English. I guess that's what she speaks._

"Are you hungry?" he asked, digging through the bag he held and pulling out the last of the pirozhki that Yurio had given him that morning, "This is good cold, or we could go inside and warm it up. Do you want it cold or warmed?"

The girl quivered, but accepted the pirozhki. She looked down at it silently, then back at Yuuri.

"Go ahead," he encouraged her, "It's really tasty. It's called a pork cutlet bowl pirozhki. It's my favorite."

The little girl quivered, staring at him raptly as she took a tentative bite. She chewed slowly, blinking and making no other moves as she ate.

"It's great, huh?" Yuuri said kindly.

He spotted a note attached to the girl's coat and carefully extracted it, opening it to read it.

 _Victor,_

 _This girl is your daughter. Her mother has died and she has nowhere to go. Her mother's wish was that, if anything happened to her, the girl would be brought to you. Her name is Victoria and she is nine years old. You will find her documents in her bag. Please do not attempt to contact members of her American family. They have no interest in her._

Yuuri looked at the girl again, his heart pounding.

 _It's hard to believe, and I know Victor will question it. Who wouldn't, right? But, I see it. She has his hair, his eyes, his nose, his lips, his ears._

 _This is Victor's daughter, a daughter it seems like he has no idea at all she exists._

"Your name is Victoria?" he asked.

The girl said nothing, but gave him a withering look.

"Oh, you go by a different name?" he concluded, "Will you please tell me what it is? Or…or maybe write it? I need to know what to call you."

The girl paused in her eating, looking at him as though considering.

"Tora," she said in a voice barely more than a whisper.

 _Oh my god! I even hear it in her voice. She's got Victor stamped all over her. She's obviously scared. Who wouldn't be? She's been dumped in a country where she doesn't know the language or any people. Poor kid. And she's lost her mother and whatever family she had there._

"It's nice to meet you, Tora," Yuuri said kindly, "You can call me Yuuri. I'm Victor's husband."

The girl continued to chew on the pirozhki, but gave no answer.

"Why don't we go inside?" he asked, slipping the key into the lock and opening the door.

Maccachin burst through and crashed into the girl, making her sit down hard on the porch. Yuuri started to scold the dog, then his breath caught in surprise as the girl dropped the last bit of the pirozhki and wrapped her arms around the old poodle's neck, burying her face in his soft fur and letting out a sob. Her body shook with more silent sobs as she held onto the dog and Maccachin licked her cheek and whined.

"You must be scared to death," Yuuri said sympathetically, "But, you don't have to worry. You can come inside and I'll take care of you until Victor gets back. I'm sure we can work things out. Will you come inside?"

He extended a hand towards the girl and waited silently. The girl peeked around Maccachin's head, her damp eyes meeting Yuuri's, and he could see she was considering. After a long hesitation, her slender hand reached out and latched onto his.

"Good," Yuuri said, helping the girl to her feet as Maccachin barked and finished off the last of the fallen pirozhki.

He picked up the little suitcase that had been left with her, and carried it inside. The two stopped in the entry and Yuuri closed the door behind them.

"You can stay in our guest room," Yuuri offered, leading her down the hallway and into a comfortably furnished bedroom, "Victor will be back in a couple of days. Until then, you need to stay here, in the house, unless you're with me. You're in a different country and you don't know your way around yet. If it makes you feel better, Maccachin can stay here with you. He's good at making me feel better when I feel a little lost. Maybe he'll make you feel better too. Tora, I'm really sorry about you losing your mom. I'm sorry for whatever made the rest of the family decide to send you away. But, you'll be okay here. I won't let anything bad happen to you, okay?"

Tora said nothing, but nodded briefly and climbed onto the large, soft bed. She patted the bed with one hand, and again, Yuuri saw the similarity to Victor, plain in her movements.

 _She's had it hard. I wonder what went on with her American family. I have so many questions. And I have to decide what to tell Victor. He's focused on getting people excited about the upcoming season. And what could he do from so far away, anyway? Maybe I should wait and tell him when he comes home._

He looked back at Tora, who sat, holding onto Maccachin and looking out the window, into the clouds.

"The remote for the TV is by the bed," Yuuri informed her, "There's a bathroom in the hallway. The door is open. You can come to me if you need anything. I'll make some dinner for us in a few hours. Is there anything you really like, that you would want me to make?"

He waited for a moment, watching the girl look out the window.

"Okay, I'll be around."

He left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen, where he sat down at the table and pulled out his home language course. He placed the ear buds from the set into his ears and began the lesson, listening carefully and repeating, answering questions in Russian, and trying again when he made a mistake. Intent in his work, he didn't notice when the girl slipped into the hallway and walked down to the kitchen, where she peeked around a corner of the wall to watch him.

Yuuri focused carefully on the images in front of him, studying the pictures and naming things, then putting pictures in order and matching them with statements written in Russian. He completed the lesson, then sighed and sat back, yawning as he looked at the clock.

"Guess it's time to make dinner. I wonder what she'd like. She wouldn't even talk to me."

He dug through the refrigerator and cabinets.

"What do American kids like? Hamburgers? Hot dogs? Pizza? Like we'd keep that stuff around, the way I gain weight when I get nervous and binge eat…"

He sighed in frustration and turned around, then he froze for a second as he spotted Tora watching him. She ducked back behind the wall, and Yuuri turned back to face the sink, pretending that he hadn't seen her.

 _She's curious. Maybe there's a way to use that. I just have to keep her interest._

He reached over and turned on the radio, smiling as a familiar song came on. He sang along in Russian as he gathered the makings for pork cutlet bowl. Behind the wall, Tora peeked out at him, watching through widened eyes as he measured out the ingredients and started cooking. Soon, delicious cooking smells filled the air. Yuuri breathed in the pleasant scent, his stomach growling as he finished making their dinner. He turned around and a smile crept onto his face as he found Tora waiting at the table for him.

"Hi," he said, nodding, "I hope you like pork cutlet bowl. It's from Japan, just like me. It's my favorite food. Please try some."

He set a plate in front of her and sat across from her, with his own. The girl sniffed the steam that rose up from the plate, then took a bite. Her face lit up, and Yuuri could almost hear Victor's happy exclamation of "Vkusno!"

"It's good, huh? I know the pirozhki was also pork cutlet, but this is what I grew up on. I only usually eat them when I win a competition, because I eat too much and get too heavy for skating."

He pointed out a portrait on the wall, one of Victor and him, dressed in costumes and holding each other as they swept across the ice.

"Your dad and I are figure skaters," he explained, "We compete professionally. I'll tell you what. If you want, tomorrow I'll take you with me to the ice rink. You can watch me practice if you want to."

The girl said nothing in reply, but Yuuri didn't miss the way she continued to steal glances at the portrait as she devoured the food in front of her.

 _I wonder how Victor will react when he meets her. I wonder what he'll do. If she's nine, then Victor was twenty when she was born, which means he was nineteen when he fathered her…assuming she's really his daughter. It's a lot to take in. This is a lot for all of us._

 _I wonder what will happen when Victor gets home._


	2. A Night of Fears

**Chapter 2: A Night of Fears**

Yuuri laid silently in bed, wrapped around Victor's pillow and breathing in the pleasant, comforting scent of his absent lover as he listened to the sound of raindrops falling outside. He was all too aware of the different feeling it gave him to know that Victor's child slept a short distance down the hall.

 _I'm worried about her. I really don't know anything about her, or what she's like normally. I don't know how she lost her mom, or what happened between Victor and her mom. I wonder how exactly her mom died. Was Tora there? Was it illness? An accident? I'm ready to have a panic attack over all of this, and she's not even my daughter! But my daughter or not, she's just a kid and she's in trouble. She needs my help. She needs Victor. Until Victor comes home, I'm all she's got._

 _I need to get to know her, and since she isn't talking, I'm going to have to do it in a way that doesn't involve words. How can I do that? How can I make her feel safe here? There must be something I can do. Making her feel welcome here, and caring for her basic needs are a start, but Tora needs something more to bring her out of that shell she's in. She's in a lot of pain. That's why she's closed herself off. I have to find ways to make her feel safe enough to come out, even a little. She sparked a bit when I gave her the pork cutlet bowl. I have to find more little things I can do. If I come on too strong, I could frighten her away and make her more distant._

 _Slow and easy, right?_

 _So, in the morning…_

Feeling a measure of comfort at having a strategy, Yuuri began to drift off. His breaths slowed and deepened, and his eyes drifted shut. The house, too, was quiet and still, until that peaceful silence was shattered with a shrill, panicked scream that brought Yuuri awake and onto his feet instantly, and set Maccachin barking loudly in the girl's room.

" _Mommy!"_

Yuuri ran down the hall and into the guest room, where he found Tora sitting on the bed, hugging Maccachin tightly and crying hysterically.

" _Tora-chan_!" he exclaimed, rushing to her side and climbing onto the bed.

Tora pulled free of the whimpering poodle and threw her arms around Yuuri, sobbing into his shoulder as he held her and rocked gently back and forth, whispering into her ear.

"I'm here, Tora-chan," he assured her, "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I know you're scared, being in a strange place without anyone you know. But, you're safe with me. I'll keep you safe, I promise. Victor and I will take care of you. Please trust me."

The silver-haired girl calmed in stages, her hard sobs giving way to silent tears. The shakiness went out of her slim body and she rested more quietly against Yuuri. Her teary eyes blinked and tears continued to slide down her flushed cheeks. When she seemed calm enough, Yuuri reached over to the nightstand and pulled several tissues from a box. He dried her tears, then coaxed her into clearing her nose.

"That's better, isn't it?" he said kindly, "Would you like some hot tea, Tora-chan? It always makes me feel more calm to sit and drink hot tea. Do you like green tea? Hot chocolate?"

He started to extricate himself, but Tora held on more insistently, and it was to Yuuri as if she had spoken to him.

 _Stay close to me._

"All right, Tora-chan," he said, continuing to hold her, "I won't leave. We can stay here for a little while, then you can come with me to make the tea, if you want."

A long, shaky breath escaped the girl, and she leaned wearily into Yuuri's shoulder and closed her eyes. She breathed more slowly, but her breaths hitched occasionally as she settled.

 _What does she need?_

 _When I was little and I was hurt, my mom would sometimes hold me this way and sing. What was the song?_

Closing his own eyes, he began to sing softly in Japanese.

 _That was it. The one I liked best was called "You are my Star."_

 _You are my star,_

 _You are my little light._

 _With you in my arms,_

 _It's warm and bright._

 _Climb, little star,_

 _Shine proud and shine true._

 _I know no darkness,_

 _When I'm holding you._

Yuuri tilted his head slightly and found that Tora's eyes were still closed, and her body had become relaxed and still.

 _She's gone back to sleep. Good. Sleep will help give her time and energy to adjust._

 _I don't know if I should leave her._

He laid the girl gently down on her pillow and tucked her back in. Looking around, he found a throw pillow that he laid on the floor, near her bedside. He knelt on the pillow, gazing silently down at his folded hands. Maccachin ambled over and laid down at his side.

 _I was an anxious child. Sometimes Mari slept in my room when I got too scared to settle down. When I was anxious, I couldn't sleep alone. If I woke up and I was alone, I would panic and cry. There didn't have to be a reason. My fear didn't have a reason, so it was hard to overcome it. Tora-chan is probably a stronger person than I was, but she is grief stricken right now, so her needs will probably be more like mine were._

 _I just wish Victor was here. He called a few times earlier, but I had fallen asleep. It's way too late to call him back now. He'll be sleeping. I don't know what to do when I do talk to him. Maybe I should text him. But, what should I say?_

Yuuri remained on his knees in the darkened room, his mind turning over everything that had happened and trying to puzzle out what to do. Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he fell asleep, still kneeling and leaned against the bedpost.

When Tora woke the next morning, she opened her eyes and found him still sleeping there. She remained in the bed, watching him, until light from the window warmed his peaceful sleeping face, and he came awake suddenly.

"Oh!" he gasped, giving the girl a startled look, "S-sorry, I must have drifted off."

He yawned and stretched, then looked at the clock and caught his breath in surprise.

"Oh crap, I'm late for skating practice!" he groaned, "Yakov is going to kill me!"

He looked at the girl, who looked back at him quizzically.

"Do you want to come to practice with me, Tora-chan?" he asked, "Or, you could stay here. You just shouldn't go outside alone until you're more familiar with Saint Petersburg. You can shower in the hallway bathroom and dress, then you can decide if you want to come."

He paused and looked at the small suitcase she had brought.

"It looks like you will need some new clothes," he mused, "If you want, I will take you shopping for some, after practice. We could have lunch downtown. Yes or no?"

The girl gave him a thoughtful look and nodded.

"All right," Yuuri said, nodding, "I'm going to dress and I'll meet you in the kitchen for a quick bite before we leave. Just to warn you, Yakov will probably yell at me when we get to the rink. He's loud, but it's nothing to worry about. Go on, now. Shower and dress, Tora-chan."

The girl made no move to go, but instead gave Yuuri an intent, questioning look.

"What?" he mused, "What is it, Tora-chan?"

She blinked and tilted her head, looking so much like a curious Victor that Yuuri found himself smiling.

"I'm sorry, Tora-chan. I can't read your mind. If you want to know something, you will have to find a way to ask me. I'm going to shower."

He turned and started out of the room.

"Tora-chan," the girl said suddenly, making Yuuri stop and turn back to look at her.

"Oh," he said, nodding, "I didn't realize I had started to do that."

A little flush touched his face as he thought about how to explain.

"Eh, it's…well…it's because I'm from Japan. You can call someone that because they are a younger female or…um…a good friend or someone you…ah, it's because you are younger."

 _I should have just left it at that in the first place. Do I really want to be saying to a stranger that I feel protective of her? Then, there's the question of why I feel that way. Is it just because she's young, alone, and going through a hard time? Is it because of her being Victor's daughter?_

 _What am I doing?_

His blush darkened as he noticed the girl was holding perfectly still and gazing at him curiously.

"I don't have to call you that, if you don't like it," he said more softly, lowering his eyes and turning them slightly aside.

For a moment, neither said anything, then Yuuri felt a little touch on his arm.

"Tora-chan," the girl said again.

Yuuri gave her a tentative smile.

"Okay."

He nodded in the direction of the bathroom.

"Go on. Hurry. I'm already going to get an earful from Yakov."

He watched as she headed into the bathroom, then ducked into his own room to shower and dress for practice. He sent a quick text to his absent partner, apologizing for not answering his phone, then he walked out to the kitchen and found the girl eating a bowl of breakfast cereal. He smiled and nodded approvingly, put together a hasty breakfast and joined her at the table. When they were finished, the girl followed Yuuri out of the house and onto the sidewalk.

"Do you mind if we jog?" Yuuri asked, "I'm pretty late."

He kept the pace gentle, but found that the girl seemed able to keep up comfortably.

"Do you participate in any sports, Tora-chan?" he inquired.

The girl considered for a moment, then shook her head.

"You seem athletic," he commented.

They crossed the bridge and Yuuri found Yurio had already gone on.

 _Oh, I am going to get it…_

They reached the rink and rushed inside. Yuuri stopped the girl just inside the front doors.

"Tora-chan," he said quietly, "These people are friends of your father, and Victor doesn't know yet about you. I am going to introduce you simply as a friend's child who is staying with me. I think it's best to let Victor decide how he wants to introduce you to them, okay?"

The girl nodded.

Yuuri led her through the double entry doors and to the side of the rink where a number of skaters were talking and laughing.

"Hey, pork cutlet bowl, where were you?" Yurio called out from the ice.

He slid to a graceful stop and stepped off to join the two.

"I uh…" Yuuri said, glancing at the girl.

"Who is that?" Yurio asked, frowning.

The girl's eyes widened at the sight of the young Russian skater.

"Yurio, this is Tora," Yuuri explained, "She is…a friend's daughter who is staying with Victor and me for awhile.

"Huh," Yurio mused, looking at her more closely, "I thought maybe she was a relative or something. But Victor's not close with his relatives."

"Y-yeah, well…" Yuuri stammered.

"YUURI!" Yakov thundered angrily, startling the three, "Where the hell have you been? You think you can take it easy while your coach is away? You have a competition in a few weeks. Do you want to be an embarrassment to Victor? Get your skates on and get out here!"

Yuuri gave Tora a secret smile and a little wink, then sat down and quickly put on his skates. He hurried out, onto the ice and Tora sat down to watch as Yakov continued to scold Yuuri loudly.

"Your free leg looks like spaghetti dangling! Did you turn into jello or something? What kind of a jump was that? Are you still half asleep? Control that speed."

"Hai!" Yuuri answered, taking a steadying breath.

 _It's hard concentrating today._

"Yuuri!" Yakov shouted.

He realized suddenly that he was too close to the wall and barely managed to avoid a collision.

"Get off the damned ice if you can't get serious!" the elder man yelled.

 _Ouch._

 _But, he's right. I feel all over the place today._

He stole a glance at Tora, and felt a flicker of worry at seeing Yurio was sitting beside her.

 _Maybe bringing her here was a mistake, but she didn't want to be left home alone. I should have just called and said I was sick._

"Yuuri!"

"Sorry!" he apologized.

 _Get it together._

His body warmed up, and he moved into a sequence of graceful steps and increasingly difficult spins.

"Better," Yakov said grudgingly.

 _Thank goodness. I really pissed him off by being late and not being able to concentrate._

He missed a jump and crashed down onto the ice.

"Well, that was graceful, pork cutlet bowl," Yurio teased him.

"Yuuri!"

"I know! Sorry!" Yuuri apologized.

He started to push himself onto his feet, then winced as a pain shot through his wrist.

"Oh great," he sighed, looking down and moving it again experimentally, "I think I sprained it."

"Again!" Yakov shouted.

Yuuri nodded, ignoring the pain in his wrist and heading across the ice again. He completed the jump without incident, then continued his practice with less scolding as Yakov turned his attention to Yurio.

"Stop talking to everyone and get back on the damned ice!"

"I'm going! I'm going!" Yurio shouted back.

He gave Tora a dismissive look.

"Nice talking to you," he commented, "But next time, maybe you'll actually say a few words. I don't like talking to myself, okay?"

Tora blushed and nodded.

Her eyes found Yuuri again, and she watched closely as he practiced a series of advanced jumps and spins. A little frown touched her lips as she noticed the way he seemed to be favoring one wrist. She bent and searched the skater's bag, withdrawing a cold pack and activating it as Yuuri finished his practice and stepped off the ice.

"Tomorrow, you get here on time and you look like a competitive skater, not a mess of limp noodles!" Yakov shouted after him.

Yuuri shook his head and sat down on the bench. He made a sound of surprise as Tora touched his arm, then carefully took his hand and carefully wrapped the cold pack around his aching wrist.

"Oh," Yuuri said, blushing, "you saw that, huh? Well, that's embarrassing. I was a little distracted and I got careless. Thank you, Tora-chan."

He wiped the sweat off his face, throat and arms with a towel, then smiled at the girl.

"Well, we got through that. Ready to go shopping?"

They left the rink and boarded a bus heading downtown, where Yuuri led her about, stopping in several of the clothing stores and waiting as she picked out several outfits and tried them on.

 _She's a little bit of a tomboy, but she likes feminine things too. I'm actually surprised she isn't an athlete. Some of her choices make me think she might have lied about that. But, maybe she's just not ready to tell me much about her life before. She's not even really talking. She's only told me her name, then asked about the ending I added. I guess I just have to be patient with her._

The two left the shops and found a quiet restaurant and ate without speaking anymore to each other. Both gazed out the window, saying nothing as they rode the bus back to their home neighborhood. Yuuri carried the shopping bags as they exited the bus and walked a few blocks to Victor's house. Yuuri sighed wearily as he unlocked the door and the two stepped into the house.

Yuuri froze and stared in surprise as Victor stepped into the entry and halted, gazing at the two with a confused look.

"Yuuri," he said uncertainly, "who is that?"


	3. Focus for the Pain

**Chapter 3: Focus for the Pain**

"Yuuri, who is that?"

Tora locked rounded eyes with the tall, silver-haired, Russian and her mouth opened, but no words escaped her. Victor blinked and looked more closely, narrowing his eyes as though trying to make sense of what was in front of him.

"Yuuri?"

"You weren't supposed to be home for another day and a half," Yuuri noted, "Did something happen?"

"Sort of," Victor hedged, "but it looks as though more has been going on here. Is this why you weren't answering my calls?"

"Yes," actually," Yuuri answered apologetically, "Everything happened quickly."

"What happened?" Victor pressed, frowning and moving closer to Tora, "Where did she come from? Is she someone you know?"

Tora stepped back and pressed up against Yuuri, ducking slightly behind him.

"Well, no," Yuuri answered, "When I was coming home yesterday from the ice rink, I saw a woman leave her on our doorstep and drive away. I tried to catch the person, but she drove off too quickly. I found a note pinned to her jacket that said her name is Victoria. But, she seems to prefer Tora. The note said that the girl's mother passed away, and that she wanted Tora to be brought to you. Tora is your daughter, Victor."

"My…?" Victor mouthed numbly, freezing and staring at the girl, "but that's just not possible."

"Why not?" Yuuri asked, frowning, "Victor, we both know you have had other relationships. Tora is nine, so you would have been…"

"Nineteen," Victor finished, "I spent a lot of time abroad that year, but I wasn't seeing anyone seriously."

Yuuri glanced down at Tora, who ducked further behind him.

"Did you spend any time in America? Or with someone who was American?" Yuuri asked.

He didn't miss the little flicker that came suddenly into his partner's eyes.

"There…was someone?" Yuuri asked.

"Maybe," Victor answered, "You say, all she brought with her was a note that gave her name and age?"

"Well, there is more information that was in her suitcase," Yuuri explained, "I didn't think it would be right to look at any of it without your permission, so I took it out and put it in our safe. It's there if you want to see it now."

Victor nodded and turned into the bedroom. Yuuri dropped to his knee and laid his hands on Tora's shoulders.

"Are you okay?" he asked, smiling at her, "You look a little scared."

Tora shivered, looking in the direction Victor had gone.

"He's not angry with you," Yuuri assured her, "It seems that your mom never told him about you. I don't know why she made that choice, but Victor may get upset about that. If he does, it's not your fault. He's not mad at you. You haven't done a thing wrong. Remember that, Tora-chan."

Tora nodded hesitantly.

"You don't have to be afraid of Victor," Yuuri went on, "He is a kind person. Even if he gets upset about all of this, it will be okay. Trust me."

His smile warmed as Tora hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder. They continued to embrace until Victor stepped back out, into the hallway and motioned for the two to follow him. Yuuri slipped a hand into Tora's and led her into the kitchen, where the three sat down at the table, and Victor withdrew a file folder from within a large, padded manila envelope. He picked up the first document and looked it over carefully.

"Your name is Victoria Maxfield," Victor read, "and your mother was Sage Maxfield of Detroit, Michigan. It seems that you were born in New York City, so you and your mother must have moved from there."

Tora gave him a blank look.

"It doesn't look like you know anything about that," Victor concluded.

"Do you remember Sage Maxfield?" Yuuri asked, "Was she someone you had a relationship with?"

Victor glanced at Tora, then gave Yuuri a meaningful look.

"Maybe we should talk about that later," he suggested, moving on to the next document, "This is an updated copy of Tora's birth certificate, showing me as her father. From what I can tell, I was not named on the original, but was added a couple of years ago."

"That's weird," Yuuri said, frowning, "I wonder why it was only changed recently. Is there any way to tell why?"

Victor shrugged.

"I don't see anything," he answered, sifting through the remaining papers.

The two men made sounds of surprise as an envelope dropped out from between the papers he was holding and landed on the kitchen floor. Yuuri picked up the envelope and handed it to Victor.

"It's addressed to you," he commented, "Maybe it's her explanation."

"Hmm," Victor said, taking the envelope and opening it.

He drew a slow, shaky breath.

"It's a letter from her…from Sage."

Yuuri gave him a measured look.

"Do you want to have a moment alone, Victor?" he asked.

"No," Victor said quietly, "If it is about Victoria, then it involves all of us."

"But…" Yuuri objected.

"I want you to stay with me while I read it, Yuuri. And I think Tora deserves to know what is in it too."

"Okay," Yuuri agreed, settling back in his chair.

"Dear Victor," Victor read, "the fact that this has reached you means that I have died before Tora's eighteenth birthday. You must have a million questions, and I'm sure that the first will be why I didn't ever tell you that you had a daughter. First, you need to know that I wanted very much to tell you about Tora right away. I would have done that if it was possible, but I'm sure I must have mentioned to you that day we spent together, I come from a very conservative family, and my father is a rich and powerful man. When I learned that I was pregnant, he was enraged, and he demanded that I tell him who the father was. Victor, he's not the kind of man you want as an enemy. I wouldn't have put it past him to have you killed.

So, I refused to tell him.

My father was furious. He hired a private detective, who investigated every man I even knew, and the investigator confronted them and bullied them into proving each wasn't the father by taking paternity tests. Luckily for me, he wasn't aware that you and I had ever met outside of skating. The investigator never uncovered any connection, other than the exhibition we skated together. When he couldn't find anything, he said he was done with me, and he disowned me. I moved to Detroit so that I could try to get into coaching."

Yuuri's eyes widened.

"What?" Victor inquired, frowning.

"Victor, I trained at the Detroit Skating Club!" Yuuri exclaimed, "I lived there."

"You've met her, then?" Victor asked.

Yuuri looked back at him uncertainly.

"I was coached by Celestino. I didn't really know the other coaches there. But, I may have met her. Is there a picture?"

Victor sifted through the papers again and pulled out a small picture with a smiling woman holding a baby. Yuuri gave him a startled look.

"You know her?" Victor asked, his voice tense.

"I knew her," Yuuri affirmed, "only I didn't know her as Sage Maxfield. She went by Coach Max. She was a girl's program coach. I only ever talked to her because Celestino was sick one day and she worked with Phichit and me to help him out. That's the only time we really crossed paths."

"Hmm," Victor said, looking back at the letter and continuing, "You may wonder why I still didn't say anything after moving out and starting over. The truth is, I was afraid my father was keeping tabs on me, still wanting revenge for whoever fathered my baby out of wedlock. There were little hints that he was, so I didn't dare do anything to give him a clue. In the meantime, Tora was growing up, and she was looking more and more like you. I have always been proud of her. She is a smart, strong girl, and she has so much beauty that comes from you. I made her my priority, and let everything go for awhile. I worked my way into a coaching position and soon, I was content to just raise Tora quietly on my own."

Victor paused and met Tora's eyes tentatively.

"You trust now that I didn't know, don't you?" he asked.

Tora nodded silently and Victor turned his attention back to the letter.

"But, recently, my father died, and a few months after that, my mother called me and apologized for having to go along with him. She said she wanted to come to me sooner, but he was adamant that no one in the family should speak to me. My mother came to Detroit, and while we were talking, I confessed to her that you were Tora's father, and that I had always wanted to tell you. She said that it was now safe to do so, but if I did not, I should at least make sure that there was some way for Tora to learn about you, in case anything happened to me before I could tell her. Then, my mother told me that she was sick and was going to die. I put everything aside to help care for her until she died also. This left me with no family who would speak to me. My other siblings had no interest in reconnecting with me. I found myself alone again, except for Tora, and my friends at the skating club.

I thought a lot about telling you. I thought about it, and then, I decided that I would. But it was then that word filtered back to America that you had left professional skating to coach Yuuri Katsuki, and that, as you were training him, it had become clear that there was more between you than a connection of coach and skater. Specifically, I saw you kiss Yuuri at the end of his long program at the China Cup. Let me assure you, I had no bad feelings about you doing that. I remember Yuuri from the Detroit Skating Club. Celestino and I were friends, and he confided in me about Yuuri's struggles with anxiety. I worked with Yuuri once, and I found him to be a kind person and a dedicated student. Knowing that you were involved with someone, and you seemed very happy, I made the difficult decision to not say anything. I was prepared to leave everything in fate's hands. And that means that if this letter is in your hands, it seems that fate has decided it's time for you to know. Tora is your daughter, and with me gone, you are all she has. Victor, you and I only had one wonderful day and night together. But even in that little time, I learned enough about you to know that if I can't be with Tora and raise her, I want her to be with you. I know that your skating is the center of your life, and that, right now, it is going to be a shock to have a daughter come into your life. But, I believe with all of my heart that you and Tora will be good for each other. If you give her a chance, she will make you proud to be her father. Please take care of her. If something unexpected has happened to me, then she will really need you to help her confront her grief."

"Victor!" Yuuri exclaimed suddenly, tearing him away from the letter.

He followed his husband's gaze to where Tora sat on her chair with her hands balled into fists and shaking. Her eyes had filled with tears and glared at Yuuri in accusation.

"Tora-chan?" Yuuri whispered, "What is it?"

"YOU!" the girl shrieked, launching off of her chair and throwing her small body at Yuuri, "I HATE YOU!"

"Victoria, stop!" Victor shouted, jumping up as Yuuri put up his hands to hold the struggling girl away from him.

"TORA!" the girl screamed, tearing free of Yuuri's hands and crashing into him, knocking him and the chair over.

She continued striking out as Victor wrapped strong arms around her waist and hauled her back from Yuuri.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! SHE WAS GOING TO TELL!"

Yuuri knelt on the floor, watching with sad eyes as the girl dissolved into quaking sobs in Victor's arms.

"She was going to tell," Tora sobbed, turning and burying her face in Victor's shoulder, "She wouldn't be dead if she told you!"

"You don't know what would have happened," Victor said hugging the girl's sagging body against him, "None of this is Yuuri's fault. Your mother made her own decision. I don't know how your mother died, but Yuuri is not responsible for what happened to her, Tora."

"B-but sh-she would have come h-here too!" Tora managed brokenly, "She wouldn't have drove me to practice and…"

Victor leaned back slightly, taking the girl's face in his hands.

"Sage died in a car accident?" he asked softly, "You were with her?"

Tora nodded, then gulped and fell against his shoulder again, crying uncontrollably.

"The car was on fire and she helped me get out, but…"

"Oh my god," Victor whispered, meeting Yuuri's eyes helplessly, "I'm sorry, Tora. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I'm sorry that I wasn't there."

"I'm sorry too, Tora-chan," Yuuri whispered.

"Go away!" the girl sobbed.

Yuuri stood and turned away.

"You don't have to go," Victor objected, "She's just beside herself and…"

"And she needs you to calm her down," Yuuri said solemnly, "I'll go to the skating rink for awhile. You can call me when you've had time to talk."

"Yuuri…"

"It's okay. Just take care of your daughter. I am fine. I promise."

Yuuri fled the kitchen, grabbing his pack from the entry and hurrying out the door. He ran down the street and was halfway to the rink when he realized that Maccachin had slipped out with him. Yuuri came to a stop and sat down on a bench in the park he found himself in. Maccachin lifted himself and placed his front paws on Yuuri's legs, whimpering sympathetically.

"It's okay," he assured the old poodle, "Tora-chan is going through something horrible. I didn't know her mother died that way, or that Tora-chan was there. I guess I understand why she's angry with me. To her, I was in the way when her parents could have gotten back together. And if they had, maybe her mother wouldn't have been killed."

Maccachin whimpered again and licked Yuuri's hand.

"I'm older, so I know not to accept the blame that doesn't belong to me. But, Tora-chan is just a little girl. To her, I did something wrong. I just hope that Victor can make her understand. Tora-chan is hurting so badly, and I want to help her. All I seem to do now is upset her."

He looked around the dark, deserted park and sighed.

"But right now, the best thing I can do to help Tora-chan and Victor is to not be there. They need time, Maccachin. Let's give them some time."

Yuuri left the bench, walking slowly, with Maccachin tagging along at his heels. He crossed the bridge, pausing at the middle to lean against the rail, looking up into the night sky.

 _I was making progress, getting Tora-chan to feel more at home here, but now, I wonder what will happen. She's so sad and angry, filled with grief, and maybe some guilt too. She said her mom was driving her to practice. Because of that, she blames herself for them being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was probably a little bit of a relief to find someone else to take some of the blame. The weight for a young child like her to carry must have been devastating. I just hope she'll be all right. I hope Victor and I will be all right. I mean, I'm sure he wouldn't leave me. They just need time to work through everything. Tora-chan will come around._

 _I hope…_

He slowed as he reached the ice rink, and he caught the door as a pair of female skaters walked out.

"Hi Yuuri," called the desk attendant, "Are you going to be staying late tonight?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said, moving to the front desk to accept the key she held out.

"Just lock up when you're done and drop the key in the mail slot."

"Thanks, Eva," Yuuri said gratefully.

He headed past the front desk and into the rink, walking around the edge and sitting down to put on his skates. Maccachin settled at his feet with a little whimper. Yuuri paused with one shoe off and sighed, closing his eyes.

 _I know it's stupid to get upset, myself. It isn't going to solve anything, and Victor doesn't need to be holding my hand. He's got both hands full with Tora-chan._

He bent forward, putting his face in his opened palms.

"You okay, pork cutlet bowl?" Yurio's voice asked suddenly, startling him out of his reverie, "You're not crying again, are you? I heard a rumor Victor was back."

"Yeah, he's back," Yuuri said wearily.

"Everything all right?" Otabek asked, stepping out of the men's dressing room and joining the two at rinkside.

"It's fine," Yuuri lied, "Victor is just…really busy with…something."

"Bullshit," Yurio said, crossing his arms, "Something's going on. You just don't want to say what it is. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Ah, um, yeah," Yuuri stammered.

 _Yurio never says that to me. He teases me and insults me all of the time. But, yeah…it's a weird kind of friendship, I guess._

"Friends tell each other when something's wrong," Yurio scolded him, "They don't sit and cry about it alone. So, tell us, what's wrong? Did you and Victor have a fight?"

"No, really, Victor and I are okay," Yuuri insisted.

"You don't look okay," Otabek said, eyeing him closely.

Yuuri's cell rang, and he spotted Victor's number on the screen.

"Looks like he wants to talk," Yurio said, taking Otabek's hand, "We'll be back."

"O-kay," Yuuri said uncertainly, touching the green button to accept the call, "Hello?"

"Yuuri," Victor said in low, tired voice.

"Is Tora-chan okay?" Yuuri asked quickly.

"She's all right for now. She cried herself to sleep. But after you left, I couldn't get a word out of her. She shut down. I don't know what to do, but watch her. But, I need to talk to you. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Victor. I was upset by what Tora-chan said, but I know she is grief stricken and doesn't know what to do with all of the pain. Before you came home, she wasn't talking at all. She only really said her name. I made her as comfortable as I could."

"I'm sure you did," Victor said comfortingly, "Thank you, Yuuri. I appreciate you looking after her until I came home. I feel bad now about reading that letter in front of her. I realize now that it was a mistake not to take your advice and read it alone first. I just didn't know what to expect. I wanted you there. I thought that sharing her mom's last message with Tora would help. I didn't even think as I was reading that part about you, that Tora would latch onto that and blame you. Tell me that you didn't take her words to heart. All of this is my fault, Yuuri. I was thrown off, and I know nothing about raising a child. I just didn't stop and think, and now I can't take back what I did. You were reaching her, and now she's shut down again. I don't know how to help her."

"Well, I think that she needs to be close to you right now," Yuuri suggested, "I'm going to be fine. I'll stay at a hotel, or with a friend until morning so that you can have some space."

"You need to come back," Victor said firmly, "I may not know much about children, but I think that giving in to her wanting you to leave would only make things harder for all of us. She needs to understand you are my husband, and you and I are together. She can be angry with you, but she can't force you to leave. Anyway, I don't know what I would do if you didn't come back. I need your help, Yuuri."

Yuuri took a shuddering breath.

"You know you have it."

"Good," Victor said in a relieved tone, "And now, I need to tell you about Tora's mother."

"You don't have to explain," Yuuri assured him, "The letter made it pretty clear that you were only together once."

"I was skating in an exhibition in New York," Victor explained, "Sage was a professional skater about my age, who was assigned to perform in an ice dance sketch with me. We practiced separately, with our coaches, then the day of the event, we practiced together for a few hours. We spent the day together, with her showing me around New York. We skated at the event, then we spent the evening out and ended up drinking too much and going back to my hotel. We parted friends. There were no hard feelings, and neither of us really wanted more. Sage was worried her father would find out that we had sex, so she said we shouldn't talk again. I respected her decision. We were both a little reckless, but we didn't think anything would come of it. I had no idea at all…"

"I know."

A long silence opened up between the two.

"Yuuri, I want you to come home now. There is more we need to talk about, but I want you to take a cab home. Don't walk back alone."

"What? Why?" Yuuri asked, frowning, "What's going on?"

"I told you earlier that I came back early for a reason. The reason I cancelled the rest of the publicity tour is because I received a death threat."

"What?" Yuuri gasped, "Victor!"

"The worst part, Yuuri, is that it was placed in my hotel room while I was in the shower."

"Oh my god!"

"I don't know if it's related to Tora arriving or not. The note left didn't give a reason. It only said that I was going to pay. I was even more afraid for you than I was for myself, so I had someone watch the house and I came home as quickly as I could. I was worried when you left, but you left too quickly for me to warn you. So, come back, but be careful."

"I will," Yuuri promised, "I'll be home soon."

He touched the red button to end the call, and stood.

"Yurio?" he called, looking around.

"We're here," Yurio answered, stepping out of the men's dressing room alongside Otabek, "What's up?"

"Ah, Victor wanted to tell me that part of the reason he came home early was because he got a death threat, a credible one."

"What?" Yurio snapped.

"The threat was that Victor was going to pay," Yuuri explained, "but the person didn't say why. So, he wants me to come back home, but he doesn't want me to walk there alone."

"Then, it looks like we're going with you," Otabek said, nodding.

"Like he said," Yurio agreed.

"Are you sure?" Yuuri asked, "If someone is…"

"Shut up and let's go," Yurio said, cutting him off, "You don't keep Victor waiting."

"R-right," Yuuri agreed, calling Maccachin to his side and falling in with them, "Thanks."

The three left the ice rink and headed back across the bridge, unaware of the dark colored car that cautiously followed.


	4. At Arms Length

**Chapter 4: At Arm's Length**

Yuuri opened the front door and let Maccachin into the house. The old tan poodle headed straight down the hall, and into the room that Victor's troubled daughter occupied. Yuuri had barely closed the front door behind him when Victor emerged from the master bedroom and wrapped his arms tightly around him, seeking his lips for a long kiss of greeting.

"I missed you," he whispered into Yuuri's ear, "And when I thought that you could be in danger, I couldn't get home fast enough."

"What's going on, Victor?" Yuuri asked anxiously, "Why would someone do this? Why would they threaten you like that?"

"Well, there could be different reasons," Victor answered, "The most obvious possibility is that it's related to what Sage warned me about with her family. She has a brother and a sister."

"But, it seemed like it was her father that was the problem, and her father is dead, isn't he?"

"He is," Victor affirmed, "But, if he was grooming his son and daughter to follow him, one or both may be holding a grudge about what happened with their other sibling. It's possible."

"Yeah," Yuuri agreed, resting his head on Victor's shoulder, "I think you're right."

"Another strong possibility is that the death threat is not related to Victoria, but instead is about you and me. I might as well tell you that our marriage doesn't sit well with some here in Russia and even in Japan, some are unhappy about it."

"But we talked about this with the immigration people when I moved here," Yuuri objected, "We acknowledged that we knew the country did not accept our marriage, and that Russia simply considers us domestic partners, not spouses. They were willing to look the other way as long as we didn't make a big issue of the whole thing. Why would the Russian government change their thinking about that?"

"It doesn't have to be an official act of the Russian government," Victor explained, "Even if it is just a person within the government, there are those who could be behind something like this."

"But how do we know if it is that?" Yuuri asked, looking alarmed, "Victor, you don't think that…that I could get in trouble with the government, do you?"

"We are in the public eye and we are popular athletes," Victor mused, "And with your immigration, you have more fans here in this country too. There are incentives for the government to leave things alone. It is the individuals within the government that could be a problem."

"But at this point," Yuuri said worriedly, "we don't have any way of telling if this is about that, about Tora-chan or about something unrelated. I mean, we're professional athletes, and there's a lot of competition for places at the top of the championships. I wouldn't put it past some of them to play kind of dirty."

"Neither would I," Victor agreed, "So, while we don't know, I want you to be really careful, Yuuri. If this is a government matter, I don't want you just disappearing one day without a trace."

Yuuri's eyes rounded.

"You really think that could happen, Victor?" he exclaimed.

"I think it's not likely, given how much in the public eye we are. But, if things get pushed too far…"

"Victor," Yuuri said, shivering and burying his face in his lover's shoulder, "this is scaring the crap out of me! I thought you said that if we just agreed in writing when I immigrated, that we would accept the designation of domestic partners instead of spouses, that…"

"That is the agreement," Victor affirmed, "but you know that even that agreement is subject to change if we begin violating rules."

"But, what could we have done wrong?" Yuuri asked, paling, "We haven't been making a big deal of the marriage agreement we made overseas."

"No, we haven't," Victor agreed, "But there was publicity. It was in the news for awhile, and it did cause a little stir here."

"Yeah, I know," Yuuri acknowledged, "But that was awhile ago, and it's been quiet ever since. Do you really think we'd get in trouble for that now?"

"I don't think so, but it's a possibility we can't eliminate, so we have to keep it in mind. Just be cautious. But, getting back to the death threats, there could be another possibility, and that is that I have an enemy that is not related to skating, who is stalking me for some reason. I am a public figure, and public figures often receive death threats. You have also received them on occasion, once you were in the public eye."

"Yeah," Yuuri agreed, "but it wasn't too hard to brush them off because they weren't delivered into my hotel room, while I was in the shower!"

"That is a disturbing factor," Victor said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "But, now that the alarm has been given, now that this person or group has made their intention clear, we will be on our guard."

Yuuri frowned.

"That's good," he said anxiously, "but Victor, whoever this is…whoever was in your room, had to know that we would put our guard up, once we got the threat. Why do that? Why put us on the defensive? Why not just kill you then?"

"It suggests that whoever is doing this, it is a very personal grudge he or she is carrying," Victor reasoned, "This enemy doesn't just want to hurt me, and perhaps you, they want me to be personally terrified. They want me to feel like I can't protect myself."

"I can see how you'd get that idea," Yuuri said anxiously, "If they got into your hotel room, they could get in here."

"I won't let that happen," Victor said firmly, "Celebrities deal with stalking quite often, actually, and now that we are aware, I've hired bodyguards to watch over us."

"Bodyguards, huh?" Yuuri mused, "Where are they?"

"You'll meet them in the morning. For now, while we are here together, they are watching the house. You'll hardly know they are there. When you will see them is when we go to public events."

"That's going to feel kind of weird," Yuuri said, shifting uncomfortably.

"We live in the public eye," Victor said, matter-of-factly, "I have actually had security on occasion, in the past, so it doesn't bother me."

"I was never a gold medal winner before now," Yuuri said ruefully, "so I never even worried. I'm worried now."

"Try not to be," Victor said reassuringly.

"Well, that's easier said than done," Yuuri said nervously.

"Just be careful," Victor said, curving a palm around Yuuri's cheek, "When you go out, don't be giving your bodyguard the slip, and you should be fine. Keep the focus on living your life. That is the peace of mind that having a bodyguard is supposed to give you."

"Yeah, well, if this person hadn't just waltzed into your hotel room so easily, I might feel better."

"I didn't have a bodyguard watching over me at the hotel," Victor said pointedly.

"True, but the person who did that doesn't seem to care much that we'll be on our guard now. I don't know about you, but I'm kind of worried about that."

Yuuri glanced down the hallway and his eyes filled with even more concern.

"And what about Tora-chan? You don't think anyone would try to hurt her, do you?"

Victor's usually untroubled eyes clouded.

"With Victoria, I am as worried about her being swallowed up by the pain she is in, as I am about her physical safety."

"I'm worried about her too," Yuuri confessed, "Victor, I think you may need someone to help with her."

"You mean family counseling?" Victor asked, "I'm thinking that too. I will look into it. But until there is an arrangement, we need to keep her safe, and encourage her to connect with us."

Yuuri gave a little sigh and lowered his eyes.

"I don't think she wants to connect with me anymore," he said sadly, "And even though it's wrong for her to blame me, I understand how she got that impression."

"Me too," Victor said, hugging him and running warm fingers through Yuuri's tousled hair, "I am really sorry for putting you in that position. I will do my best to help you earn her trust again."

"You really think she's going to do that? You think she'll trust me again?" Yuuri asked, doubt plain in his voice.

"With time," Victor assured him, "Now, I want to stop talking for awhile and go shower with you."

"Are you sure we should do that?" Yuuri asked, "I mean…"

"Maccachin is watching over Victoria, and there are bodyguards to protect us. Yuuri, we need to be able to feel safe in our own home. If we lose that, then what do we have? I won't live in fear."

"I don't want to do that either," Yuuri agreed.

"Come then," Victor invited him, keeping an arm around him and turning him towards their bedroom, "I've missed you, Yuuri."

"I missed you too," Yuuri responded, pressing up against his husband's side as the two walked into their bedroom and closed the door.

They headed into the bathroom and locked the door, before turning to face each other. Some of the worry went out of Victor's eyes as he looked into Yuuri's, and his hands began to slowly undress his now faintly smiling spouse. Yuuri's hands moved to relieve Victor of his clothing as well. In moments, the two stood bare and moved into a comforting embrace.

"No matter what happens, remember this," Victor breathed into his husband's blushing ear, "There is nothing more important than what is between us. We waited so very long to be together this way, and now that we are, we are never going back to being alone, Yuuri."

He kissed the soft skin on the side of Yuuri's neck, closing his eyes and just enjoying the close feel of their bodies. He nudged Yuuri's towards the shower, then reached in to turn the water on. The two held each other quietly, waiting as the water warmed, then they stepped in, under the hot spray and embraced again.

 _I needed this so much!_ Yuuri realized suddenly, _It was hard knowing what to do while Victor was away and it was just Tora-chan and me. It's not any easier with Tora-chan being so upset with me, but at least Victor and I can handle things together. I just need him here. I need his arms around me. I can handle what comes as long as we're together._

"I needed this," Victor whispered, echoing his husband's thoughts aloud, "I feel safer with you, and it feels better, holding you in my arms, knowing that you are safe too. I love you so much, it's a torment to be away from you."

"I hate it when you go away too," Yuuri confessed, relaxing under the hot spray of the water and watching the droplets of water collect on Victor's perfect, pale skin.

"We are better when we are together," Victor acknowledged, "We can weather anything as long as we stay together."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere," Yuuri assured him.

"Neither am I."

"We're sure going to have our hands full," Yuuri sighed, watching as Victor applied sweet smelling liquid soap to a bath sponge, then began to lather it onto his husband's shoulders and torso.

"We are," Victor agreed, "That's why we will need times like this…to build up our strength, so we can get through everything."

Yuuri met him for another kiss, rubbing his soapy body against his husband's. They bathed each other slowly, their graceful hands following the curves of each others' bodies, seeking to touch every inch possible. Then, they stepped under the water again to wash the thick lather away, leaving them clean, refreshed and warmed to the core. They dried off and headed for the bed.

"Hey, uh, Victor?" Yuuri said as he paused to pick up and wrap a soft blue yukata around himself.

"Hmm?" Victor said, starting to slide into the bed.

"I think it might be a good idea, now that we have a child in the house…if you, you know, wear something when you come to bed."

"Huh?" Victor mused, looking down at himself, "Oh, right. I'm not used to living with anyone but you. Do I even own pajamas?"

Yuuri smiled and handed him a second yukata.

"Welcome to fatherhood," he chuckled.

"Yes," Victor sighed, glancing at the closed bedroom door thoughtfully, "I never even thought about being a father. For a very long time, I thought that to be strongest, I had to do things on my own."

He turned back and slipped into the bed next to Yuuri, smiling as his husband snuggled close to him.

"But all I would be doing without you would be facing everything with half of my strength. Just like you need a coach to guide your skating, I think you need a partner to help keep you on the right path raising a child."

"I don't know how much help I'll really be with Tora-chan being so angry with me," Yuuri sighed.

"She will come around," Victor said, nuzzling Yuuri's soft cheek, "Tomorrow, we will begin to lay some foundation with her. She is going through a lot, but she needs some rules to guide her."

"Are you sure she'll be all right, alone in there?" Yuuri asked worriedly.

"She's with Maccachin. He's very good at watching over people who need a little extra love."

"You can say that again," Yuuri said appreciatively, "I remember when you came to Hasetsu to train me. From that first day, Maccachin followed me everywhere. And even when I avoided you because I didn't want you to see all of my faults, I wasn't afraid to let Maccachin see them. He's a good friend."

"Yes," Victor agreed.

Yuuri closed his eyes, resting his head on Victor's shoulder and breathing in his warm, masculine scent.

"I'm really glad you came home," he whispered sleepily.

"I'm glad to be home."

The two men drifted off slowly as, down the hall from their room, Tora hugged the old tan poodle against her, shifting uncomfortably in her sleep. Her mind worked its way backward, the people's voices in the images echoing and the vision fading in and out.

 _Get your skates, Tora," her mom reminded her._

" _Right!" Tora answered brightly, slapping herself on the forehead, "I always forget!"_

 _She ran back to the house and picked up the skates, holding them over her shoulder as she ran back out to the waiting car._

" _After practice, do you want to have teppanyaki for dinner?"_

" _Yeah!"_

 _Her mother backed the car out of the driveway and headed down the street, making several turns before entering the freeway. Sage grinned as a familiar song came on the radio, and the two began to sing loudly together. The traffic slowed a little and Sage slowed the car. Her eye moved to the rearview mirror and widened as she spotted a speeding car approaching too quickly behind them._

" _Oh, no…"_

Tora sat up screaming and making Maccachin bark and jump off the bed.

"Mommy!"

Fast footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Victor rushed to the girl and hugged her as Tora held onto him crushingly. Yuuri remained quiet and still in the doorway, watching with sad eyes, but carefully saying nothing.

"I'm here," Victor said comfortingly, drying the girl's tears with the sleeve of his yukata, "You're okay, Tora."

"I want Mommy!" Tora sobbed, "I just want her to come back. I want to go home."

Victor took a steadying breath.

"This is your home now, Tora," he said calmly, "I know it isn't the same. I would give you back your mother and your home in America if I could, but that's not something I can give you. Yuuri and I will do our best to be here for you. I'm not asking you to pretend this is what you had before. It's all right for you to be sad that your mother is not here. What I am going to ask is that you also do your best to settle in. There are some rules you will need to follow, just like when you were living in America and I will make sure you understand them. It will not be what you had before, but I hope with time, you will be happy here."

"I'll _never_ be happy here!" Tora cried into Victor's shoulder, "I _hate_ it here!"

"I know you feel that way right now. All of this is still fresh in your mind. You've been through a terrible shock. You just need time to make sense of things. Yuuri and I will help you as much as we can. I'm only asking you to try."

Tora's fingers clenched at the front of Victor's yukata and she cried harder into his shoulder. Victor patted her back gently and nodded to Yuuri, who moved closer and sat down beside him on the bed, carefully making no move to touch or speak to the crying girl. The three remained that way until Tora drifted off again and Victor laid her back down on her pillow. He and Yuuri stood, and Maccachin hopped up, onto the bed and laid down at Tora's side.

"Stay with her, Maccachin," Victor said approvingly.

He curled and arm around Yuuri, and the two walked slowly back to their bedroom.

"I hope she'll be all right," Yuuri said sadly.

"She'll be okay," Victor said calmly, "I do know that children adjust to things faster than adults. We just have to keep supporting her."

"It's not so different, really, than the way you supported me through my anxiety about competition," Yuuri observed.

"Right," Victor agreed, "Now, let's get some sleep, so that we have the energy to get through tomorrow."

"I'm just glad you're back to handle my training," Yuuri sighed, "All Yakov does is yell at me and tell me how it's an insult to you to be so inadequate."

"Well," Victor said, smirking "I won't go easy on you either. Your program has the same difficulty as mine, so it's going to be a challenge."

"You may not go easy on me, but at least you don't yell at me like he does all the time."

"No," Victor giggled suggestively, "I have other ways of motivating you."

"Yeah," Yuuri said, blushing, "I like your way much better."

"I'll bet you do."


	5. Obstacles

**Chapter 5: Obstacles**

Yuuri woke to the savory smell of food cooking, and he sat up, stretched and glanced at the clock. Noting the time, he climbed out of bed and dressed, heading out to the kitchen, where he found his husband, dressed for skating practice and serving breakfast at the table. Tora sat at the table, dressed in a soft, red and white sweatsuit they had purchased the day before, and patently avoiding eye contact with him as Yuuri joined her at the table.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Victor said, smirking and giving Yuuri a kiss and nuzzle on the cheek as he set his husband's breakfast in front of him.

"Good morning, Victor."

Victor set a second plate in front of Tora, then set his own place and joined them at the table. Yuuri and Tora dug into their food enthusiastically, while Victor ate more slowly, studying the two thoughtfully.

"Tora," he said quietly, making the girl look up at him questioningly, "we need to get you settled into a routine. I am completing the steps I need to take to finalize your Russian citizenship, and that being the case, you need to learn to speak Russian and to advance in your academic subjects. There was documentation, showing your achievements, so I will be contacting the local school district to have them provide guidelines for a private tutor for you. As he is also learning Russian and has graduated college, I have chosen Yuuri to be your academic mentor."

Yuuri and Tora gave Victor surprised looks, and Tora's teeth gritted, but the girl gave no answer.

"Victor, are you…?"

Victor laid a hand on Yuuri's stopping him, then he looked at Tora.

"I am both a competitive skater and a skating coach. I would mentor you myself, but I am unable to do that and to see to my commitments, while still offering you quality time as your father. While I understand that you have some unresolved feelings towards Yuuri, he has more time to work with you, so I expect you will do your best to learn what he teaches you, and you will obey him while he is in charge of you."

Tora looked down at her plate, scowling.

"Yuuri, I will talk to the district about Tora's curriculum and let you know when her educational plan is ready."

"O-kay, Victor," Yuuri answered uncertainly.

"Until we have the curriculum, Yuuri can just work with you on your Russian. You can come to the skating rink with the two of us and work on your academics while we practice."

Victor paused and gave the girl a curious look.

"Tora, can you tell me, have you participated in any competitive sports?" he asked, "You mentioned attending _practice_ , but I don't know what you were attending practice for. Are you a skater also? Or do you prefer something else? I ask because whatever sports or activities interest you, you will be able to pursue them here, if you like. Do you have a preference?"

Tora looked up and held his gaze for a moment, then frowned and shook her head. She turned her attention back to her food.

"Well," Victor said conversationally, "maybe you and Yuuri can also puzzle out what physical activities you would like to try."

Victor finished the last of his food and left the table to put his dishes in the sink. He walked back to the table and bent to kiss Yuuri on the cheek.

"I will see you in a little while for practice," he said, smiling and brushing his fingers against Yuuri's cheek, and earning a disapproving glare from his daughter, "Don't be late."

"I won't," Yuuri chuckled, "I'm usually only late because I oversleep, and I'm already awake."

Victor nodded, then gave his daughter a stern look.

"Don't cause Yuuri any grief," he said firmly, "He is in charge while I am gone."

Yuuri's breath caught and he blinked in surprise as Tora stuck her tongue out at Victor's turned back as he left the room. She caught him looking and scowled.

 _She reminds me of Yurio right now. I think this isn't going to be easy. She's going to give me a hard time. I just know it. And the pressure's on, because I know Victor needs me to take care of her while he is preoccupied with coaching and skating, himself. I have to do this. I have to get her to stop being angry with me._

 _But how?_

"Are you finished?" he asked.

Tora said nothing, but rose and left the table without clearing her dishes.

 _Victor would scold her, if he was here, but if she is going to resist everything, I can't confront her at every turn. I'm going to have to choose what to put my foot down about and what to ignore._

He cleared the table and washed the breakfast dishes, then gathered his things for practice and walked back to Tora's room.

"Tora-chan?" he called, tapping on the door.

The girl gave no answer, so he tapped and called out to her again, then tried the handle.

 _Locked._

"Tora-chan, it's time to leave for practice," he called out, "Tora-chan?"

He glanced at his watch, biting at his lip nervously.

"Tora-chan, I need to be at the rink on time!" he said insistently, "Any longer and I will have to call Victor to explain what's…"

He stopped, sucking in a short breath as the door opened and Tora stepped into the hallway, carrying a backpack on her back and wearing a sour expression.

"You must try to be ready on time every day," he said firmly, "I have set times for practice, and I must keep to them. Please try harder tomorrow, Tora-chan."

The girl gave him a saucy look and fell in behind him.

 _She's probably making faces at me,_ Yuuri thought anxiously, _I suppose I should be calling her on it, but…I also don't want to escalate things. I need to get to practice. My performance depends on me giving my best to that._

The two headed down the street, then turned and started past the block long park. Halfway past, Tora left Yuuri's side and jogged into the park.

"Tora-chan!" Yuuri objected, running after her.

He slowed as she came to a stop at the park's fountain and began to drink. Yuuri frowned.

"You know that we are late, Tora-chan. What do you think Victor will say? If you are trying to get me into trouble with Victor, then you should realize you're getting yourself into trouble too. Come now."

Tora gave him a defiant glare and continued to drink at the fountain.

"Tora-chan…"

"Leave me alone!" Tora yelled, turning and walking back towards the street.

"Tora-chan," Yuuri said, following her, "you are supposed to stay close to me for your safety!"

"I said, leave me alone!" the girl shouted, "You're not my father!"

"Is there a problem?" asked a stern male voice in Russian.

Yuuri paled and felt a shiver go through him as he turned and found himself facing a Russian police officer.

"Are you this girl's father?" he asked.

Before Yuuri could answer, he turned his attention to Tora.

"Is this man bothering you?" he asked, continuing to speak in Russian.

Tora stared at him, wide-eyed, not knowing how to answer him.

"Her father is Victor Nikiforov," Yuuri managed in halting Russian, "I am…"

 _I can't say I'm Victor's husband, but I don't know how to explain domestic partner in Russian._

"D-do you speak English?" Yuuri asked in English.

The policeman gave him a stony look.

"I'll need to see some identification," the officer said tersely.

"Okay," Yuuri answered, his hands shaking as he removed his backpack and found the requested materials.

"And hers?"

"Ah…I…they are at home," Yuuri answered, indicating the direction from which they had come."

The officer's frown deepened.

"You'll need to come with me, both of you."

"What?" Yuuri objected.

Tora's face went white and she turned and ran in the direction of the skating rink.

"Tora-chan!" Yuuri cried, starting after her.

"Where do you think you're going?" the officer demanded.

"I don't know if she remembers how to reach the skating rink!" Yuuri exclaimed, reverting in his panic to Japanese, "She might get lost!"

He let out a frightened yelp as a handcuff snapped shut around one wrist.

"What are you doing?" he managed in a bewildered voice, "Tora-chan…!"

"Don't give me any more trouble," the officer warned him, pushing him towards a waiting patrol car.

"Tora-chan…" Yuuri whispered anxiously.

"Get in," the officer said, closing the other handcuff around Yuuri's remaining wrist and nodding towards the open door.

Terrified of what could happen if he disobeyed the command, Yuuri complied. His eyes scanned the street as they continued over the bridge, but he saw no sign of Tora.

 _Tora-chan, please get to Victor safely._

 _Hopefully, the bodyguard assigned to us saw what happened. He wouldn't intervene in a police activity, but he will follow her, and he will contact Victor and let him know what happened._

 _I hope._

XXXXXXXXXX

Victor exited the ice and grabbed a towel that he used to wipe the sweat from his face and neck. He looked around for Yuuri, frowning as he found no sign of his husband or daughter. He picked up his phone, but spotted Tora running into the preparation area, wearing a frantic expression, and with her bodyguard close behind. Tora ran to Victor and crashed into him, hugging him with shaking arms.

"Tora, what happened?" Victor asked worriedly, "Where is Yuuri? He is supposed to be with you."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nikiforov," the bodyguard explained, "but your husband and daughter had some kind of disagreement in the park, and a policeman detained Yuuri, and took him away in a police car."

"What?" Victor demanded, staring, "Yuuri was arrested? For what?"

"I'm not sure exactly," the bodyguard confessed.

"Tora," Victor said sternly, "Tell me what happened between you and Yuuri."

"I…" the girl said shakily, "just said he wasn't my father."

Victor put a hand to his forehead and let out a frustrated breath.

"Tora, you may have gotten Yuuri into serious trouble!" he said angrily, "And then, you ran off by yourself instead of staying with him."

"I was scared," the girl answered, her eyes filling with tears.

"And how do you think Yuuri feels, being arrested and taken away in a police car?" Victor asked pointedly.

He turned his attention to the waiting bodyguard.

"Please take my daughter home and make sure she stays there. I need to go and take care of Yuuri."

"Yes sir, Mr. Nikiforov," the bodyguard said apologetically, taking the now crying girl's hand, "Come, Miss Nikiforova."

"What's the matter, Vitya?" Yakov asked, "Yuuri's late again, I see."

"You'll have to excuse me, Yakov," Victor said shortly, "I have to go."

"Family troubles?" Yakov asked, his expression softening slightly, "Do you need help?"

"Do you know anyone at the police department?" Victor asked, "Yuuri's been detained. I need to go and get him out."

The elder man sighed disapprovingly.

"Get your skates off, Vitya," he said shortly, "I will go with you."

Victor hastily changed into his street shoes and hurried out to Yakov's car.

"So," Yakov said as he drove, "that girl is your daughter? Your daughter with who?"

"I didn't know about her until she arrived here," Victor explained, "Her mother was an American girl I knew. She was killed in an accident, and her family sent Tora here to be with me. I was going to tell you and everyone when Yuuri arrived with her."

"But she's already in trouble, I see," Yakov said gruffly, shaking his head, "She takes after you, eh?"

"She is grieving over her mother," Victor said sadly, "She barely talks to us."

"Well, apparently she talked enough to make the police officer think Yuuri was a criminal. You need to be strict with her, Vitya. The next time, she could get herself into trouble too."

"Right now, I'm just worried about Yuuri. He doesn't speak the language very well, and he must be frightened out of his mind. I'm sure he won't give them any reason to…"

Victor paused, his face going pale.

 _God, I hope they don't hurt him!_

"Don't worry, Vitya," Yakov said in a quieter voice, "I have a friend there. Just let me do the talking."

Victor nodded wordlessly, gritting his teeth and clenching his hands in frustration as they fought their way through the traffic, to the police station. Yakov parked the car, and the two hurried into police station.

"May I help you, sirs?" a male desk clerk asked.

"My husb…" Victor began, stopping awkwardly and correcting himself, "My partner was brought here this morning. I need to get him released."

"We need to speak to Andrei Petrov," Yakov explained.

"Come this way."

They followed the desk clerk to a nearby office, where a man who looked to be Yakov's age was working quietly at his desk. He looked up at the two in surprise.

"Yakov! And you must be Victor Nikiforov. How can I help you? Victor hasn't gotten into trouble, has he?"

"No, not Vitya," Yakov explained, "But his partner, Yuuri Katsuki."

"It's Nikiforov now," Victor added, "He changed it when he moved here."

"I see," Andrei said, rubbing his chin, "So, Yuuri Katsuki is here and in trouble?"

"It's a misunderstanding," Victor said quickly, "Yuuri and my American born daughter were stopped in the park near our house and the officer mistakenly thought that Yuuri was causing some kind of mischief. My daughter ran off and came to me, but Yuuri was brought here. Can you help us get him released?"

"Hmm," Andrei said, consulting his computer, "He is being processed, so he'll be in a holding cell. The charge was that he caused a disturbance in a public park. It's a minor charge. I can go with Yakov to talk to my boss and see if we can get the charge dropped. Follow my assistant, there, to the lockup and she will take you to Yuuri."

"Thank you!" Victor said in a relieved voice.

He hurried after the assistant, who took him past the guarded lockup entry, and into the holding cell area.

"Hi Dina," an officer greeted the assistant, "What do you need?"

"This is Victor Nikiforov," Dina explained, "His partner, Yuuri Nikiforov was brought here and should be in holding."

"Yeah," said the officer, "he's here. Come this way. I had to move him to an empty cell. A couple of the other men in holding were roughing him up."

"Did they hurt him?" Victor asked worriedly.

"Not really. Some bruises and a cut on his face. He'll be all right."

 _Damn it!_

 _Poor Yuuri._

He felt a jolt in his chest as they reached the holding cell, and Victor spotted his quiet husband, sitting on the far end of a long bench in his cell, gripping the edge and staring silently at the floor. He startled and quivered in reaction as the guard unlocked the cell door and pushed it open. Then, his frightened eyes found Victor and he jumped up and ran to his husband, throwing his shaky arms around Victor and hugging him tightly.

"Victor!"

"Are you all right?" Victor asked anxiously.

He drew back, frowning and tracing lightly the cut on Yuuri's bruised cheek.

"What happened? I mean, I know why you're here, but what happened here?"

"What do you think happened?" Yuuri said quietly, "I was put in a holding cell with criminals. It didn't take them long to figure out I wasn't one of them. Of course people like that would enjoy beating up on someone weaker than them."

"This is outrageous!" Victor hissed angrily, earning a wary look from the guard.

"Victor, now isn't the time. Can we go?"

"The paperwork should come through in a few minutes," the guard said sympathetically, "I'll take you up to be checked out."

"Thank you," Yuuri said dispiritedly.

He pressed up against Victor's side and his worried partner slipped a supportive arm around him. They followed the guard to a station where they found Yakov and Andrei waiting for them, then waited in silence while the paperwork for Yuuri's release was signed and approved.

"You're free to go," Andrei said, handing Yuuri several copies of the signed papers, "The charges against you have been dismissed. Just try to stay out of trouble."

Yuuri nodded silently, then he leaned against Victor as the two followed Yakov to the car. Yuuri slid into the back seat and Victor climbed in on the other side and wrapped an arm around him.

"I'm going to have a talk with Tora when we get home," Victor said in a low, angry voice, "There is no excuse for what she did, Yuuri. None."

"I don't think she realized that the officer would come and…"

"That's not the point," Victor said sternly, "If she had been doing as I asked and obeying you, nothing would have happened to the two of you."

"I think she understands she made a mistake," Yuuri assured him.

"Even mistakes have consequences!" Victor snapped, making Yuuri flinch in reaction, "She needs to understand how serious this is, Yuuri."

"Okay," Yuuri sighed, closing his eyes and resting against Victor, "I won't get in the way."

"You're never in the way," Victor said more gently, "But, you've bent over backwards, trying to understand Tora. She needs to respect that. Her own birth family has given her nothing, while you have tried to welcome her…"

"She's just a child, Victor."

"And she isn't going to learn to take responsibility if we don't let her feel the sting of what she's done. I'm going to make sure that this doesn't happen again."

Yuuri gave a longer sigh and sank more deeply into his husband's side, resting quietly until they reached the house. Victor kept his arm around Yuuri as the two entered the house to find Tora, pale-faced and waiting in the entry with her bodyguard.

"Thank you for staying with her," Victor said, dismissing the bodyguard, "Tora, I will talk to you in a minute. I need to take care of Yuuri first."

"Is h-he…okay?"

She shivered as Yuuri's head turned slightly, revealing the cut on his cheek, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry!" she said in a choked voice.

"Go wait for me in the kitchen."

Victor led Yuuri into the bedroom and closed the door. He helped his silent husband out of his clothes and into a comfortable yukata. Yuuri climbed into the bed and turned to face the window, curling around his pillow. He barely noticed Victor's warm fingers that ran through his hair, then brushed against his cheek.

"I'll be back."

Yuuri nodded silently, continuing to look out the window.

 _When I was in that place, I didn't know how long it would be before I saw my own home again._

 _I don't think that I've ever been that scared before._

Victor left the bedroom and walked out to the kitchen, where he found his daughter sitting in a chair at the table, her face in her hands and silent sobs shaking her small body. He took a seat beside her, watching silently as she lifted her head and rubbed her red eyes.

"I think you understand you did something very wrong this morning," Victor said in calm, but firm tone, "I asked you to stay with Yuuri, and to obey him. You chose not to do that, and the consequences of that were serious."

"Sorry," Tora whispered.

"I know you are," Victor said, taking her hand, "But I think you also know that feeling sorry isn't going to undo the hurt that was done to Yuuri. You owe him more than an apology, and because of that, you will be going to the ice rink with me in the mornings, until you show me that you will respect my directions. In addition to that, I want you to do something to make amends with Yuuri. He isn't going to hold a grudge, but even though he's not, you need to do something to help cheer him up."

"How did Yuuri get hurt?" Tora asked, quivering, "Did the policeman do that?"

"No, Yuuri was put in a holding cell with some other men who had been arrested also. Those men realized that Yuuri is a gentle person, and they hurt him because of it. He's going to be fine now, but I want you to do something to help take care of him."

"C-could you show me how to make him a pork cutlet bowl?" Tora asked, "He really likes them. Maybe that will make him feel better."

"I think that would help. Why don't you find the recipe in the recipe box on the sink and we'll make the food together."

Tora nodded and fetched the recipe as Victor began to gather the ingredients.

"You know," he said as the two began to work together, "you are lucky to know someone like Yuuri. He is kind and unselfish. All he's done since you arrived was to think about you and take care of you. I know that you were upset when you heard the reason that your mother chose not to tell me about you was partly because of my relationship with Yuuri, but you realize now, don't you? That was not Yuuri's fault."

"I know. I was just mad."

"I understand your feelings," Victor assured her, "but even though you can't help your feelings, you can control your actions. I expect you to do that from now on."

"Okay."

The two worked quietly, finishing the meal, then Victor placed two of the bowls on a tray and handed them to Tora.

"I want you to go and sit with Yuuri while you two eat. You don't have to talk a lot. Just let him know you're sorry by keeping him company for awhile."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me," Victor said, giving her a wink, "I can eat on my own. Go on, now."

Tora carried the tray into the bedroom, and walked around the bed to set it in Yuuri's lap. Yuuri looked down at the savory food, then back at Tora.

"Thank you, Tora-san," he said quietly.

"Is it okay if I eat with you?" Tora asked tentatively.

"Of course," Yuuri answered.

He watched as she climbed onto the bed and settled beside him, then he took a bite and gave her a little smile.

"It's good."

"Daddy helped me make it," Tora answered, smiling back at him, "It might not be as good as yours, but…"

"It's really good, Tora-chan," Yuuri assured her.

Tora settled beside him, eating quietly and not making conversation. They finished eating and set the bowls on the nightstand. Tora moved closer to Yuuri, following his gaze out the window to where a group of seagulls were flying by.

"What's Hasetsu like?" Tora asked.

"Hasetsu?" Yuuri repeated, keeping his eyes focused out the window, "It's a castle town by the ocean…although the castle isn't really a castle. It's just a façade with a ninja house inside."

"There are really ninjas there?" the girl asked, her eyes widening in wonder.

"Yes, there are really ninja's there," Yuuri answered, glancing at her for a moment.

"Maybe if we go to visit there, we should ask them to teach us how to fight," the girl suggested.

"I don't want to fight," Yuuri sighed, closing his eyes, "I hate fighting."

"Me too," Tora agreed, "but sometimes you might have to, so you should probably learn how."

"Yeah," Yuuri answered, shaking his head and looking at her out of the corner of an eye, "maybe."

"Yuuri-san, I'm really, really sorry."

"I know you are. You made a mistake, Tora-chan. We all make mistakes sometimes."

"I was mad, but I didn't want you to be scared or get hurt. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"You're already helping by apologizing and sitting with me. Thank you, Tora-chan."

"You're welcome, Yuuri-san."


	6. Time for Rain to Dry

**Chapter 6: Time for Rain to Dry**

The bed moved and Yuuri winced and groaned as pain radiated in so many places at once that he hardly knew what hurt the most.

"Well, that's not a happy face," Victor said, capturing him under the chin and lifting his head slightly to look more closely at the healing cut on his cheek, "You have a black eye, you know."

"Ow!" Yuuri complained, "Let go of me! It hurts when you do that!"

"I think it hurts when you move at all right now," Victor said unhappily, "Maybe you should just stay here and take it easy today."

"No way," Yuuri huffed, groaning as he forced his aching body into a seated position on the bed, "I have a competition in just a couple of weeks and I need to nail down the rest of my free skate."

"Yuuri…" Victor said disapprovingly.

"I already missed one day of practice. I can't just lie around," Yuuri complained.

"You need to look at the bigger picture," Victor scolded him, "You and I are both on the older side for competitive skaters, and a serious injury now could be career ending. Your body is stiff and sore. You are in no shape to be pushing yourself with the level of program you are using. If you insist on going to practice anyway, as your coach, I at least insist that you have a hot soak and then massage your muscles. And…no jumps today."

"No jumps!" Yuuri objected, "Victor!"

Yuuri gave a pained yelp as Victor turned and straddled his body, bringing their faces close together.

"Your coach said _no jumps_ ," he repeated, touching his nose to his stubborn spouse's, "Are you going to disobey your coach, Yuuri?"

Yuuri gave him a petulant look, but then sighed and turned his head aside to look out at the cloudy sky.

"No," he said defeatedly, "I get it. No jumps."

"Don't look so glum," Victor said, using a more cheery tone and employing a wide grin, "This will give you a chance to nail down all of the other elements in your programs. Just focus on those today, and if you're better by tomorrow, you can work on jumps then."

"Yeah, okay."

"You don't sound too convinced," Victor observed, kissing him on the nose and sliding off of him, making Yuuri grunt and catch his breath as the pain returned, "I don't know if I should trust you to keep to what you say. Sometimes, in the past, you have agreed with me out loud, and then ignored what I said."

"I won't try any jumps today," Yuuri insisted, scowling, "I promise."

"Good. I'm holding you to that," Victor chuckled, "Now, why don't you go hop in the tub for that hot soak? I'll see you at the rink later. And don't worry about Tora, I'm taking her with me. Maccachin is coming too. You don't mind if I borrow the first lesson materials from your Russian language course, right?"

"No, I've finished the novice lessons. I still need more practice, but it's coming along."

"Okay, I'll take that with me to get Tora started."

Yuuri gave his husband a doubtful look.

"You really think she's just going to sit there and practice Russian while you're focused on skating?" he asked skeptically.

"I've got it covered," Victor assured him, "She'll be supervised so closely, she won't be able to take a breath I don't know about."

"Sounds a little scary," Yuuri commented, a little smirk coming to his lips, "You're coming on pretty strong."

My daughter took an action that hurt you, and you were lucky not to be hurt worse. She is going to pay for that with privileges that she has to earn back."

"She's going to love that," Yuuri sighed, "I just hope she doesn't decide I'm responsible for that too."

"You don't think she would, do you?" Victor asked, frowning, "She seemed remorseful. She wasn't disrespectful to you while she was having dinner with you last night, was she?"

"No," Yuuri assured him, "she seemed real apologetic. She was actually kind of cute. She suggested we should ask the ninjas at Hasetsu castle to train us to fight."

"It would be better just to stay out of trouble."

"Well, like she said, sometimes you have to, right?"

Victor gave him a cute smirk and a peck on the cheek.

"How about you get to where you're not hurting all over and then we can talk about ninja lessons?" he chuckled.

"I don't want to be a ninja," Yuuri laughed, climbing slowly out of bed, then he paused and placed a bracing hand on the edge, holding his ribs on one side.

Victor gave him a concerned look.

"Yuuri, maybe you should really stay home and not practice today."

"Victor…"

"I know you're worried about the competition, but one more day of rest won't put you too far behind, and if I know you, you will make up for that lost time quickly. I have perfect faith that you will be ready in plenty of time. Now, let's get you to that bathtub."

"Victor, you don't have to help me," Yuuri chided him, still smiling as his husband wrapped an arm around him, "I can walk on my own. It just hurts. And it hurts when you help me too. My ribs are bruised where you're pushing up against them."

"Oh, sorry," Victor apologized, moving to the other side, "You're a mess, aren't you?"

"Kinda," Yuuri sighed stumbling to the bathroom door, then gently pushing his husband away, "But I can take care of myself. You need to go and do your own training."

"Okay, I will," Victor agreed, giving him a gentle squeeze.

"Ow!"

"Sorry. Go and relax, now. I will see you this afternoon."

"I'll be here," Yuuri assured him.

He waited until his husband was out of hearing to add "Hurting…"

A little draft in the bathroom chilled him, and Yuuri slid the bathroom window closed.

 _Funny. We don't usually open that very often, especially not in the cold weather._

He took his time filling the tub, then turned on the bubbling jets and sank down into the hot water up to his neck.

"Oh, that feels so much better!" Yuuri sighed contentedly, leaning his head back against the edge of the tub and closing his eyes.

He breathed slowly, letting the heat work its way into his sore muscles, then carefully flexing and stretching different areas. After a few moments, he opened his eyes again, and he instantly felt the blood freeze in his veins. His brown eyes rounded and he could barely draw breath at the sight of the blood red froth at the surface of the water. He stood hastily, barely aware of the lingering pain in his muscles, and nearly panicking as he looked down at what looked like bloody water.

His frantic hand grabbed a towel, and he wiped away the redness, searching his body carefully for any sign of a wound.

 _There's nothing…_

He shivered, hurriedly wrapping a yukata around himself.

 _Who did this?_

 _Why?_

 _Weren't there bodyguards watching the house all night? The window was open. Did someone slip by them? Unless maybe whoever did this slipped inside while we were gone yesterday? Maccachin was there part of the time, but out part of the time too. And there were no signs of the doors or windows having been forced. We would have noticed that._

 _Still,_ he thought, looking at the closed bathroom door, _if someone did this, does that mean the person could still be in the house? I'm sure Victor, Macca and Tora are gone by now. My bodyguard is outside, but if whoever did this is in the house…_

Yuuri turned off the bath jets and moved closer to the bathroom door. He thought he might hear something in the bedroom and froze, staring at the door and too afraid to move.

 _I can't stay in here forever,_ he reasoned, _I'm going to have to go out there._

He took a steadying breath and crept the rest of the way to the door.

Yuuri stiffened at a little thump that sounded out in the room. His heart quickened in his chest as he took another breath, then threw the door open.

 _Nothing here._

 _But someone could still be in the house. I need to get to the bodyguard and go warn Victor!_

Yuuri quickly grabbed another towel and wiped away the red that still stained his skin, then he hastily dressed and fled the house. He rushed to the car, where his bodyguard sat in a dark sedan. The bodyguard noted his distressed expression and exited the car to join him.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Nikiforov?" he asked.

"Inside," Yuuri explained, "Marat, the bathroom window was open. I didn't think anything of it at first, although it's weird because Victor and I don't leave it open. But when I used the tub, the water turned red like blood."

"Show me."

Yuuri led the bodyguard back into the house and the two entered the bedroom together. Marat frowned and studied the stained water in the tub.

"It doesn't have fragrance to it like a bath bomb," he noted, "I think, for your safety, I should have the water analyzed."

"You think the stuff in the water might be poisonous?" Yuuri asked, his voice shaking.

"I don't know, but it's better to be safe than sorry. You should bathe thoroughly, just in case, but you won't be able to do that here. I'll take you to a safe place."

"Victor needs to be warned," Yuuri said worriedly, "You need to make sure that he and Tora don't come back here!"

"I will notify my partner, who is with them," Marat assured him, "There's just one more thing I need to do, and that's look at the window, inside and out. It seems to be the point of entry."

He walked to the window and opened it, then studied the frame carefully.

"It looks like there might have been a little tampering, but whoever did it was careful not to make it obvious. And the approach to this window is partially blocked from my view. I did mention to Victor that installing cameras might be a good idea."

"Yuuri nodded.

"We have some that should be installed in a few days, but…"

"But in the meantime, we are going to have to be careful," Marat concluded, "I may need to talk to Victor and Artur about one of us positioning ourselves inside the house. I know that the two of you prefer to have more privacy, but in light of this…"

"We may need to think about that," Yuuri said softly.

"Yuuri, let me take you somewhere, so you can bathe. I'm uneasy about it. It's probably fine, but..."

"But with someone doing scary things like this, who knows?" Yuuri mused in a spooked tone.

Marat nodded and led Yuuri back to the car. The bodyguard quickly texted a message to his partner, then left with Yuuri and drove to a nearby hotel. The two checked, then proceeded up to the assigned room. Yuuri hastily showered and found his phone ringing when he emerged."

"Victor!" he exclaimed.

"What is going on, Yuuri? Where are you? Artur said that Marat called and said something happened at the house. Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Yuuri said anxiously, "We think someone slipped into the master bathroom. Whoever it was, put something in the water that made it look like blood."

"What?"

"It scared me to death! But, Marat brought me to a hotel to clean up, and he called for an investigator to the house to get some samples of the water to make sure it's nothing we need to worry about."

"I'm bringing Tora and coming to the hotel. Which one is it?"

"Victor, I'm okay. Besides, there's nothing you can do here. Marat is with me, and I'm perfectly safe with him. I'm just going to rest here. You and Tora can come here when you're done at the rink."

"Are you sure?" Victor asked anxiously, "Yuuri, I want you to have Marat stay in the room with you. I already had someone get into a hotel room where I was staying."

"He's right here, Victor," Yuuri assured him, "He won't leave the room. I…"

Yuuri frowned and exchanged glances as the phone in the hotel room began to ring.

"Um, Victor, hang on for a second."

Yuuri set his cell phone down and picked up the hotel phone. Marat moved closer, listening with Yuuri as a deep, muffled voice began to recite a poem. The two men exchanged mystified glances and the bodyguard consulted his cell phone briefly.

"Who is this?" Yuuri demanded angrily.

The man's voice plodded on through the poem, then the line clicked and went dead.

Yuuri set down the phone and sought Marat's sympathetic blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," the bodyguard apologized, "but since we came here unexpectedly, I wasn't set up to trace the call. We may be able to get the information from the phone company if we get the hotel's support. I did type in some of the lines and did a search on my phone. The poem was A. E. Housman's _To An Athlete Dying Young._ "

Yuuri gave the bodyguard an unsettled look.

"I guess we get the message there. God, whoever this is, it seems like they want to scare the hell out of us, in addition to maybe killing us."

"I'm not going to let that happen," Marat promised, "Artur and I will protect your family, and the detective in charge of your case will figure out who is doing all of this. Sir, why don't you get some rest? You look like you aren't feeling too well."

"I'm still pretty messed up after yesterday, and with everything happening…"

Yuuri shook his head and sighed.

"You're probably right. I am really tired."

"Go and lie down, then," the bodyguard advised him, "I'll make sure you're not disturbed."

"Thank you, Marat," Yuuri said gratefully.

Yuuri walked into the bedroom and left the door to the room open. He slipped off his shoes and laid down on the bed. And despite the anxiety that tormented his mind, he did manage to drift off. He slept relatively peacefully, until hours had passed, and he felt the bed move as Victor arrived and laid down next to him. Yuuri turned and crawled into his husband's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Victor."

"Are you all right? I was worried about you." Victor said, running his fingers through Yuuri's dark hair and kissing him.

"I'm okay," Yuuri assured him, "I just got freaked out when…"

He paused and shuddered.

"This is really creepy."

"I agree," Victor said, tracing Yuuri's cheek with his fingertips, "It is disturbing how easy this enemy makes it look to slip past our guard. They are assigning another detective to the case…someone who specializes in stalking cases. We're going to meet with her tomorrow."

"Okay."

Yuuri frowned.

"Have you explained to Tora what's going on?"

"I told her that there have been some threats against us, but that it sometimes happens to celebrities. I told her not to slip away from us and the bodyguards. She seemed scared, but willing to go along with things."

"I'm not surprised she's scared. Whoever is doing this is really messed up."

"I'm sorry they frightened you," Victor said soothingly, "I think we are going to have to just stick closer together until we are able to stop this person."

"You won't get an argument from me," Yuuri said, hugging him more tightly, "Not after what just happened. I still don't know yet if the stuff in the tub was poisonous or not."

"Marat was just informed it was not a dangerous compound," Victor informed him, "I was coming to tell you that."

"Oh, thanks," Yuuri said solemnly, "That's a load off my mind, although it's still creepy that whoever this was, was in our house, Victor."

"I'm very worried about that too," Victor agreed, "but there is going to be a third bodyguard, so one will stay in the house with us and two will watch the house and accompany us when we go out. We have lots of help, Yuuri. We're not alone in this."

"No," Yuuri agreed, "We have our bodyguards, the detectives on the case, and we have each other."

He rested his head on Victor's shoulder, sighing and closing his eyes.

 _Please God, let that be enough to keep us safe!_


	7. Opening Blossom

**Chapter 7: Opening Blossom**

Yuri Plisetsky swept across the open ice, building up speed, then he threw his slim body into the air, rotating skillfully and came down into a solid landing. He moved into another, sharper turn and spotted Victor entering the preparation area alongside his silver-haired daughter, with Yuuri on his other side. His eyes narrowed and his lips scowled as he noticed Yuuri's deflated look, the partially healed cut on his left cheek and his blackened left eye. He headed towards the three and stepped off the ice, stopping in front of Yuuri and still scowling.

"What the hell happened to you, pork cutlet bowl?" he asked, "You look like the Russian mafia got hold of you or something."

"Heh, it's not as bad as it looks," Yuuri answered, averting his eyes as he spoke, and just catching the look of guilt that touched Tora's face, "And it wasn't mafia, just a misunderstanding."

"Huh, well it must have been one heck of a misunderstanding to mess you up like that."

"Tora," Victor interrupted, "go on over and sit at the table. You can start your next lesson."

Tora's unhappy look intensified.

"I want to watch Yuuri skate," she pouted.

"Yuuri has to warm up anyway, so you'll work on that lesson until he's finished."

Tora looked ready to complain, but instead rolled her eyes and turned away, heading for the table. Victor turned his attention back to Yurio and Yuuri.

"So, what happened?" Yurio asked, "I know you've missed two practice sessions, pork cutlet bowl. But Yakov isn't talking."

"I asked him not to," Victor said, nodding to Yuuri, who wordlessly headed toward a bench to put on his skates, "My daughter made a poor decision to be defiant to Yuuri while they were on their way here, day before yesterday, and happened to do so in front of a police officer. The officer misunderstood the situation and arrested Yuuri."

"What the hell?" Yurio mused.

"While in lockup, a few of the other men in the cell gave Yuuri a hard time. Luckily, he was moved before they could do worse than beat him up a little."

"He's not good at standing up for himself," Yurio complained, "Even a peacock like you knows how to fight better than him."

"Yuuri hates fighting," Victor said quietly, "even more than I do. I suppose both he and Tora should learn at least basic self defense, but we've been preoccupied."

"With the death threat?" Yurio inquired, "Yuuri told us about that the other day. They still don't know who sent that?"

"No," Victor said, shaking his head and turning his eyes to watch as Yuuri stepped onto the ice, "Take it slowly, Yuuri. Do a long warm up."

Yuuri nodded and set off across the ice, moving in slow, careful strokes, then gradually lengthening into longer, graceful sweeping motions.

"Good," Victor said approvingly.

He turned his attention back to Yurio.

"We had another incident yesterday, this one in our house."

"Shit. What happened?" Yurio demanded.

"It is looking like someone avoided the eyes of our bodyguards and slipped into the master bathroom. They put a heat sensitive dye into the tub, so when Yuuri filled it and started it up, it turned red, like blood."

Yurio's eyes rounded.

"That's crazy!"

"Marat took Yuuri to a hotel, and a short time after their arrival, someone called the room, masking their voice and reciting a poem about an athlete who dies young."

"Man, that is twisted!" Yurio exclaimed, "No wonder he looks so trashed. Beat up like that and threatened too. I'm surprised you let him come here today. You know he'll be crap on the ice with his head and body messed up that way."

"Well, we have two weeks to his first competition. What are we going to do? Give up already? Yuuri is better off getting out there and practicing. It will take his mind off of things and focus his attention elsewhere."

"Yeah, while that asshole stalker bides his time and plans something else."

"We have two detectives now who are working on it," Victor informed him, "We have three bodyguards, and they've finished installing the cameras, so we can go home today. We're doing what we can."

"Huh, good luck with that," Yurio huffed, turning to go.

He paused as step later and glanced back at Victor.

"Hey Victor."

Victor gave the younger Russian a curious look.

"Don't let him skate unless he's going to be serious. I'm not going to put up with him doing anything less than his best. I won't waste my time."

Victor gave Yurio a little smirk and nodded.

"Oh, don't worry," he said, watching as Yuuri moved into a stunning spin, "When you meet later this season, he will be in top form."

"You'd better be too," Yurio warned him, "I'm beating both of you idiots this year!"

"I look forward to seeing you try," Victor laughed.

Victor glanced over at Tora, who had abandoned her lesson and was standing at the edge of the ice rink, leaning on the wall and watching as Yuuri practiced the step sequence for his short program. He sat down and removed his own skates from his pack, then put them on and laced them up. He stepped onto the ice to begin his own warm up. He sensed his daughter's eyes turn to watch him and felt a little warmth touch his heart as he realized there was a tentative smile on her face. Victor turned his focus to his warm up and missed the moment when Tora's expression changed to a determined frown, and she turned and walked to the rental desk.

Could I rent a pair of figure skates?" she asked, giving the attendant her size.

"Sure thing," the young man at the desk answered.

She kept her eyes on Yuuri and her father as she sat down on a bench and put the skates on, lacing them up swiftly.

 _Even though he asked me if I skate, I didn't tell him. I didn't want him to know. It's like skating was something that Mom and I did. I didn't even know that my dad was a skater too. When I asked about my dad, Mom only said that it was complicated, but that my dad was a good person. She promised that she would tell me more when I was older, only she died before then._

 _I really miss her._

 _I cry every time I even think about that day._

 _I haven't worn skates since that day. I don't even know what happened to my skates or any of my things. That woman just showed up and told me to pack a bag. She said she was taking me to my dad, but that I had to just leave everything. It's like Mom didn't just die, everything else disappeared when she died. I just have a few pictures. That's all I have left of my home…my family._

 _But,_ she thought, looking at Victor, _I have a dad now._

She stepped onto the ice, watching as Victor finished his warm up and landed a graceful triple flip. He turned and started to gain speed, then spotted Tora at the edge of the ice, and gave her a startled look. On the other side of the rink, Yuuri slowed and stopped, watching for a frozen moment as Victor halted, and father and daughter stood, looking quietly at each other.

Then Victor extended an opened hand in Tora's direction.

Tora skated forward, accepting his offered hand and moving into a graceful dance across the ice as the music from Victor's new long program began to play.

"I asked you if you skated," Victor mused, looking down at his daughter's slightly blushing face, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I don't know," Tora answered, releasing her hold and spinning in a circle, then recapturing his hands, "I just didn't want to tell you."

"Hmm, but you want me to know now?"

"Yes."

Victor nodded.

"I'm glad you told me. Your mother was a beautiful skater. It makes me happy to know that she shared that with you. I wish that I could have been there with the two of you."

Tora frowned and gave Yuuri a furtive glance.

"But, I thought that…"

"Tora, things are a little more complicated than that," Victor confessed, "Your mother and I liked each other. We knew each other for a very short time, and we did enjoy that time. I do wish that she had told me about you. It wouldn't have changed the fact that we decided not to be together, but I also wouldn't have missed seeing you as a baby and watching you grow."

Tora gave him a noncommittal look.

"Mom said it was complicated too. When you read the letter, I thought that she meant that it was because of Yuuri that she didn't even try to tell you."

Victor shook his head gently.

"We were not going to be together," he said firmly, but not unkindly, "There were reasons for that, which had nothing at all to do with me falling in love with Yuuri Katsuki. Some things are meant to be, and others, as much as we may desire them, are just not meant to happen."

Tora tilted her head and gave him a slightly piqued look.

"Mom said that too. She didn't tell me about Yuuri, but she did say that you were just in different places, and even caring about each other wasn't enough to make two people love each other if it wasn't meant to happen."

"I'm sorry if that disappoints you," Victor said solemnly.

"Does that make me a mistake?" Tora asked, "I had a friend in my skating class who said his dad got drunk and called him a mistake. You didn't mean to make me…so…"

Victor stared back at her silently for a moment, then leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"You were a little, unexpected miracle," he answered, watching the beautiful smile that lit up her face, then holding on with one hand and turning her so that she began to gain speed, "Now, why don't you show me what you can do?"

He let go with his remaining hand and skated backward, watching closely, as he and Yuuri met at the center of the ice and joined hands.

Tora began with a quick warm up, then shifted her weight, jumping into a flying sit spin. She rose up again and moved into an obviously very well practiced display of graceful steps, then launched herself into a combination spin. She exited the spin and gained speed, then threw her body into the air, completing a double axel, then a pretty toe loop.

At Victor's side, Yuuri watched with sparkling eyes, noting with his peripheral vision the expression his husband wore.

 _I've never seen Victor's face look like that_ , Yuuri thought wonderingly, _It's beautiful, seeing how like him she is without ever having known him. I think that even though they weren't meant to be, Victor and Tora's mother really loved each other. And it gives me a little peace inside to know that their choices were made before I ever met Victor in person. There's no question that what happened was meant to happen. They were meant to meet and to make Victoria. Victor and I were meant to take care of her when her mother's life ended so suddenly._

 _We are slowly moving towards becoming a family…_

He paused in his thinking, feeling a little twinge of pain inside.

 _But there are still obstacles._

He felt Victor let go of his hand and watched as his husband skated to Tora and looped an arm around her, hugging her.

"That was lovely!" he gushed, "You must have learned a few things from your mother. She was a brilliant skater. She didn't really want to compete, but she liked skating performances. Still, I noticed that a few of your jumps had a familiar flair to them. Did she teach you those too?"

"Mom wasn't my coach," Tora said, blushing and panting softly from the exertion, "But she would show me videos of professional skaters. I didn't know why, but she showed me some of you, and told me my jumps should be confident like yours."

"I see you took her advice," Victor said approvingly, "You're talented. Have you decided whether you want to pursue competitive skating, of are you more interested in skating performance, like your mom was?"

"I don't know," Tora said, her blush increasing, "Right now, I just love to skate, so before I moved here, I skated a lot. I was thinking about competing, and my coach was helping me prepare."

Victor nodded.

"Then, if skating is what you love, you will skate here also. If you want coaching…"

"Will you coach me?"

Victor smiled.

"I don't think I would be the right coach for you," he chuckled, "I'm much more experienced as a competitive skater than in coaching."

"You coach Yuuri," Tora said skeptically.

Victor looked back at his husband, who had returned to practicing the step sequence for his short program. He didn't miss the slightly lost look in Yuuri's brown eyes as he entered a flying sit spin.

"Yuuri really doesn't so much require training as support," Victor explained, "When we met, he was already competing at my level. He just needed help learning to skate with more confidence, and with composing his programs. You need someone who will help you prepare for competition. I will be happy to find a good coach to help you with that. But, if you are going to do that, it should be because skating is something that you really want to do. It's a serious commitment you have to make. You should take some time to think it over and…"

"I don't need to think," Tora exclaimed, smiling, "I love skating."

Victor observed curiously as she paused and her smile faded slightly.

"No, it's not just that anymore," she corrected herself, "Now, when I skate, it's like I feel my mom is with me. I can hear her voice in my head and I remember things she said to me. Mom is gone and so is almost everything from before. But, when I'm here skating? I feel close to her. It stops feeling like everything is gone."

"Your world has changed," Victor acknowledged, reaching out to squeeze her hand, "but you are still Tora Maxfield."

Tora's smile faded even more, and she looked down at her skates, then up at her father again.

"No," she whispered barely audibly, "I don't know how to say it, but it feels more like the person I was with Mom is mostly gone. I used to be Tora Maxfield, but now I am Tora Nikiforova."

"The person you were with your mother is not lost," Victor said, brushing a hand against her cheek, then ruffling her wavy silver hair, "You just need to find yourself again. Yuuri and I want to help you do that."

"Hmm," Tora sighed, watching as Yuuri stepped and turned gracefully, but wore an expression that left her with a powerful ache inside, "Maybe you do, but Daddy, it doesn't seem like Yuuri likes me anymore. He says that he isn't mad, but he doesn't look happy at all around me."

Victor let out a little sigh.

"Yuuri isn't angry with you," he said with certainty, "and he doesn't dislike you. He was hurt by what you did, and he is having to do something like what you are having to do."

"Huh?" Tora queried, giving him a confused look.

"You are trying to figure out who you are in this new place, and Yuuri is trying to figure out who he will be to you. Just be patient and be kind to him. He is trying to make his own connection with you, but he doesn't want you to think that he is trying to take your mother's place. He would never try to do that. What Yuuri wants most is to make his own place in your life."

"But he barely even talks to me now!" Tora objected, "and he always looks sad."

Victor shrugged.

"You hurt him," he said pointedly, "It will take time for the hurt to fade and for the two of you to reconnect. Just don't give up on him. Yuuri is a good friend. If you think back to what he was like when you arrived here…"

"He was really nice," Tora said sadly, "I wish I never heard that stupid letter!"

"I wish I hadn't read it in front of you," Victor said apologetically, "But I can't take it back and I have to live with the consequences. There are consequences for what you did too. Still, I think that if you are patient with Yuuri and continue to be good to him, he will be able to move past the hurt, and the two of you can be…"

He turned his head to look at Yuuri, as his husband launched into a triple axel, but over-rotated and crashed down onto the ice.

"Yuuri!" Victor shouted, "What are you doing? I told you to start slow!"

He started to skate towards Yuuri, but Tora accelerated past him and skated to Yuuri's side. She grabbed his hand and helped him to his feet, then she watched him brush the stray ice bits from his clothing.

"Thank you, Tora-chan," Yuuri said solemnly.

Tora smiled and shrugged.

"That's what friends are for, right?"

She skated away before he could answer, leaving him gazing questioningly after her.

 _Are we friends now?_


	8. Watching You Watch Over Me

**Chapter 8: Watching You Watch Over Me**

 **(One weeks later…)**

Tora sat at the kitchen table, picking disinterestedly at her breakfast and glancing occasionally at the closed door to the master bedroom. Victor finished rinsing the plate he had used and set it in the drying rack, then he turned back and noted the direction of her gaze. He smiled as she turned her head to look at him.

"Are you about ready to go?" he asked, "Yuuri left the next Russian lesson out for you to take with you."

Tora frowned and looked down at her plate, then back at her waiting father.

"Do you think I could stay here with Yuuri today, Daddy?" she asked tentatively, "I can just work on the lesson here. It's not as loud, so…"

"But, you use headphones, don't you?" Victor asked, smirking very slightly.

"But it doesn't keep out all of the noise," Tora complained, "And sometimes, I have to use a microphone and it doesn't work as well. Besides, since Yuuri is learning Russian too, and he's not skating with you until later, he can answer questions if I get stuck."

"Hmm, you have a point there," Victor noted, touching his fingertip to his chin, "But, you know, the last time that you stayed here with Yuuri…"

"I know!" Tora exclaimed, "I said I was sorry a million times! I went with you all last week, and you said if I was good, you would talk to Yuuri about…"

Tora paused as the door to the master bedroom opened and a tousled-haired, drowsy looking Yuuri emerged, dressed in his sleeping yukata, and with Maccachin on his heels. Tora got up from her chair and put her hands together as she greeted him.

" _Konnichiwa_ , Yuuri-san!" she said, bowing.

Victor and Yuuri exchanged amused glances.

Yuuri smiled back and bowed before responding.

"It's early, so it's _Ohayo gozaimasu_ ," he corrected her, "After late morning, it's _Konnichiwa_ , and in the evening, it's _Konbanwa_."

"Kind of like Good morning, good day, and good evening in English?" Tora asked.

Yuuri nodded.

"Kind of like that," he agreed.

"Are you going to be learning Japanese now too?" Victor asked, looking impressed.

"Um…" Tora mumbled, looking at Yuuri tentatively.

"Well," Yuuri said, giving the girl a sidelong glance, "it is easier to learn multiple languages while younger. And, when I was learning English, my mentor explained to me that it isn't any more confusing if you learn more than one language at a time."

"I was thinking," Tora said to Victor, "You're going to be going to Japan for a competition, right?"

"Soon," Victor agreed, "Yes, I will."

"Can I go too?" the girl asked, "Could we go to Hasetsu and see Yuuri-san's family?"

Yuuri gave her a surprised look.

"You want to meet my family?"

Tora nodded.

"Daddy talks about it all of the time, and he makes it sound great. I want to go there, if that's okay."

"Well," Victor said, glancing at Yuuri, "it is a few weeks before Yuuri's birthday, so it would be a good time to visit, and after my competition, both Yuuri and I have a little time before our next competitions. I suppose, if it's all right with Yuuri and his parents, we could make a trip to Hasetsu after the competition. What do you think, Yuuri?"

"Oh," Yuuri said, tilting his head slightly and looking at Tora curiously, "if you want to, we can go. My parents would love to meet you."

"Is something wrong?" Victor asked, reading his uncertain expression.

Yuuri considered quietly for a moment.

"I was actually wondering whether Tora-chan would also want to travel with you and me to America when I compete there next week. I wasn't sure, because of the uncomfortable memories that might be associated with it. But, it occurred to me that Tora-chan might be homesick."

"Go back to America?" Tora said, considering.

"This year's Skate America competition is in Detroit," Yuuri explained, "I know that it's where you lived with your mother, but I don't know if you would feel good going there because you could see friends you might be missing, or if it would be sad for you."

"It might be both," Victor suggested, watching his daughter closely as she considered.

"I do miss Johnna and Nico," Tora confessed, her face clouding, "I didn't even get to say goodbye to them. I didn't know how to call them from here, so…"

"Well, I can help you call them, if you like, and you are welcome to come with Yuuri and me on the trip, if you want to see them. There will be time," Victor assured her, "I'll make the arrangements if you want to go."

"I want to go," Tora said decidedly.

"Okay," Victor agreed, nodding, "Now, about this morning…"

Tora turned to Yuuri.

"Yuuri-san, Is it okay if I stay here with you and do my Russian lesson?" she asked, "I promise I'll do what you say this time."

"And?" Victor prompted her.

"And I promise that I won't make you late for practice or cause trouble like I did last time," the girl said, blushing, "Is it okay, Yuuri-san?"

"It's fine if you don't want to," Victor said, still smirking, "She can be a handful."

"Daddy!" Tora objected.

Yuuri smiled.

"Tora-chan can stay with me," he agreed, "It's good to have a second person to practice with sometimes."

"All right, then," Victor said, nodding and kissing Yuuri on the cheek, "I will see the two of you later."

He gave his daughter a wink.

"Be good."

Victor exited the house, making his way down the walkway to the street, where his personal bodyguard waited for him.

"Artur," he greeted the brown-haired, green-eyed man, "has there been any sign of trouble?"

"None," the bodyguard answered, giving a little shake of his head as he fell in with Victor and the two headed down the street together, "It's been quiet ever since the incident in the house. The extra bodyguards and the surveillance cameras seem to be deterring whoever this is."

"And has the new detective made any useful discoveries?"

"Unfortunately, no," Artur said regretfully, "Because she is a native of New York, she has brought added knowledge regarding the Mayfield family to the investigation, but they are still having a hard time learning if this is related to the family or not. She wants to set up a meeting with you and Yuuri to discuss her perspectives on all that has happened. She will call the meeting as soon as all of her preliminary work has been completed and shared with our unit."

Victor gave him a discomfited look.

"Sir?" Artur inquired.

"I was hoping that we would have made progress on finding out who this is by now," Victor explained, "We are due to leave for the United States in a few more days in advance of Yuuri's competition there. While being at home seems to be safe enough for us now, going abroad, especially to America, presents more of a chance of giving our stalker an opening. At this point, I don't know if I dare take Victoria with us…or if what I don't dare to do is to leave her here without us. Either way seems dangerous. And she is still recovering from the loss of her mother. She has not been without either Yuuri or me with her, taking care of her, since she arrived. I don't know how she would tolerate a separation like that. No, I think there's no choice but to take her with us. Yuuri suggested it to her this morning, and she seems to want to go back to see her friends."

"Well," Artur said tilting his head thoughtfully, "while being abroad will, of course, require some different methods, I'm still confident that we can protect all of you"

"I'm glad you're confident," Victor sighed, frowning, "but I was also confident that I was safe when I went on that publicity tour, and this person walked into my room while I was showering. I would be dead right now, if whoever this is wasn't having more fun stalking us."

"Try not to think about that now, sir," Artur said encouragingly, "There is much more protection around you now than there was then. We won't let any of you be harmed. We will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe."

"I know you will. Thank you, Artur," Victor said as the two reached the bridge where Yurio and Otabek waited.

"Hey Victor," Yurio greeted him, "Where's your kid? Is she off getting pork cutlet bowl arrested again?"

"They're practicing Russian together," Victor answered, "I suppose we'll see how it goes this time."

"That's girl is trouble. You know that, don't you?"

Victor gave his fellow skater a little smirk.

"I think she has a little crush on you," he teased.

"Great," Yurio huffed, "Next, she'll get me arrested too! And doesn't she get that I'm already dating someone? And she's nine years old! You need to set her straight right now or…!"

"I was just kidding," Victor laughed.

"Well, that's not funny!" Yurio snapped, "I have enough girls wearing cat ears and chasing after me! I don't need any more!"

"Come on. We should get to practice. It's not good to keep Yakov waiting."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Did you finish the unit test?" Yuuri asked Tora, heading to the kitchen table, carrying two plates of food.

"Mmhmm," Tora answered, accepting the plate from him, "I just missed two words that I mixed up because they sound kind of alike, but they mean different things."

"Yeah, there are always things in a new language that are confusing," Yuuri said thoughtfully, "I think learning English was harder than learning Russian, though, because there were so many exceptions to the rules of the language."

"You mean like there, I before e, except after c…"

"Except in these special situations. Yeah," Yuuri agreed, "But when I lived in Detroit while I was training with Coach Celestino, my friend, Phichit, and I practiced together, since he was from Thailand and living in America to train too. We learned together. Having a friend really helped me to learn more quickly."

Yuuri paused, noting the cloudy look that was overtaking Tora's face.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, "You look like something's bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?"

Tora sighed.

"I don't have any friends here," she said sadly, "I kind of know a few people at the ice rink, but that's not the same."

Yuuri gave her a sympathetic look.

"I think I know what you mean," he confessed, "When I was younger, I left Japan and moved to the United States to train. At first, I didn't know anyone. But then, my rink mate, Phichit, became my friend. You know, you're going to start skating with a coach again soon. You'll probably start making more friends then. And if Victor sends you to school soon instead of home schooling you, you can meet more people that way. I met a lot of people while I was in college."

"But even if I go to school, everyone will speak Russian and I'll look stupid because I don't know very much."

"I don't think that's true," Yuuri encouraged her, "I think if you just focus on learning the basics, when you go to school, there will be some people you meet there, who will be eager to help you learn. And being around native language speakers will help you learn faster. It's a win-win."

"I don't know," Tora said, lowering her eyes and shifting anxiously, "I think I want to work at home with Daddy and you."

"Well, it's better for you to get out there and meet some people your own age. I know it's hard for you to open up when you're just learning how things work here, but I have confidence you'll do fine."

"Hmm…" Tora sighed, frowning, "I guess."

She paused and tilted her head slightly.

"Yuuri-san, how did you and Daddy meet?" she asked, "People have told me that he suddenly decided to be your coach, but no one really knows why."

"Why did Victor decide to coach me?" Yuuri repeated, "Hmm, I'm not exactly sure either, but once Yurio told me that Victor was having trouble feeling inspired. After having won five world championships, his motivation was lagging, and some people were saying that he was going to retire. At the same time, I had just bombed out at the Grand Prix Finals. I took last place in the event and went home humiliated. I was too embarrassed to even try to talk to Victor, even though I had looked up to him ever since I was a little kid, and I'd worked really hard to qualify to compete with him. I was a good skater, but I kept getting nervous and falling during competitions. I was ready to quit when something amazing happened."

Yuuri gave Tora a little smile.

"After bombing out in the finals and the nationals, I went home to Japan to think about what to do. While I was there, I was at the local ice rink, and I showed a friend of mine that I'd learned to skate Victor's routine from that year. I was trying really hard to motivate myself to keep going, and ever since I was small, trying to copy Victor really helped me along. My friend watched my routine, and little did I know, but her kids taped the performance and they uploaded it onto the Internet. It went viral and Victor saw it."

"He saw you skating his routine?"

"He saw me skate at his level without making nervous mistakes. Victor told me later that he was entranced with the way that my body moves to the music when I skate, like the music is inside me and skating is how I let it out. He was so inspired that he impulsively took a season off and just showed up at my parents' hot spring. He just said he was there to coach me. He said he'd make me win."

"You got a silver medal that year?"

"Yes. And Victor and I realized that we really needed each other to stay motivated. So, he stayed on as my coach, even though we also compete with each other. It's hard, but the work pays off because we both love skating so much."

Yuuri glanced at his watch and made a sound of distress.

"Speaking of work, we have to get to the ice rink. It's almost time for my training with Victor!" he said urgently, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I got dressed when I got up. I'm ready."

"Great. I'll just grab my skates," Yuuri said, heading out of the kitchen.

He returned a moment later, carrying his backpack, and the two left the house and met Marat on the front porch.

"You're running a little late," Marat noticed, "Do you want me to drive you?"

"That would be great," Yuuri answered.

The three headed to the bodyguard's sedan and pulled out onto the street. As he drove, Marat checked his mirrors several times and frowned.

"Is something wrong?" Yuuri asked, "Do you think there's someone following us?"

"It may be nothing, but there's a car that has been back there for awhile. Whoever it is, isn't looking like they're going to cause trouble. They're probably just watching and following, but we'll be careful anyway."

"Thanks," Yuuri said gratefully.

They rounded the final curve and pulled up to the ice rink. Tora started to take hold of the door handle, but Yuuri laid a warning hand on her arm.

"Let Marat get it," he advised her.

The bodyguard exited on the left, watching warily as the car that had been shadowing them passed by and kept going. He opened the door on the right side of the car and waited as Tora and Yuuri climbed out.

"Go on in," Marat said to Yuuri, "I'm going to send the license number of the car in and see if there's any reason for concern."

Yuuri nodded and headed inside with Tora beside him. Victor smiled as he spotted the two, and he skated over to the side of the rink as Yuuri sat down and began to put on his skates.

"Hello there," he said cheerfully, "You're right on time. Did everything go okay this morning?"

Tora nodded.

"I only missed two words on my unit quiz."

"Good job," Victor said approvingly, "I got word from the school today that your curriculum is ready. We can pick it up on our way home and it will give you something to keep you busy on the trip to the USA."

"Great," Tora sighed unenthusiastically.

"Well, you can't just run wild forever," Victor laughed.

"Why not?" Yuuri joked, "According to Yakov, that's what you did when he was trying to train you when you were younger."

"You've got a point there," Victor chuckled, "I think I'd better hope that Tora didn't get that willfulness from me."

"Oh, I think she got a little bit," Yuuri said, shaking his head, "But it made you a champion. It'll be interesting to see where Tora's willfulness takes her."

Victor's face lit with affection and he curved an arm around Yuuri, kissing him on the cheek.

"I'm also excited to see that," he agreed, "But for now, let's turn our attention to getting you ready for your competition!"


	9. Home of the Brave

**Chapter 9: Home of the Brave**

Victor stepped into his bedroom closet and paused for a moment to study his options before selecting a dark grey jacket and heading out to the kitchen. He pulled the coat around his slim body, zipping it up in the front as he approached the table, where Yurio and Otabek sat with Yuuri and Victoria, playing a board game together. Yuuri looked up and smiled as Victor slipped an arm around him.

"It's time for us to go," Victor said to the girl, "Yurio and Otabek will be here, and your bodyguard is just outside. Finish your game and one more lesson from your curriculum before bed and don't cause these two any trouble."

"Okay, Daddy," Tora answered, getting up to hug her father, then surprising Yuuri with a hug as well.

" _Itte kimasu_ , Tora-chan," Yuuri said, hugging her back.

" _Mata ne_ ," the girl answered, turning back to her game.

The two men exited the house and walked across the grass to a waiting sedan. Victor opened the rear door and waited as Yuuri climbed in, then followed. As he closed the door behind him, the car pulled away from the curb. Victor smiled and squeezed Yuuri's hand.

"You and Tora seem to be getting along really well, now," he noted, "I appreciate you giving her another chance after how she acted towards you I n the beginning."

"Well," Yuuri sighed, "she'd just been pretty much dumped on our doorstep and we didn't know each other very well at first. I think we just needed to get to know each other a little. She's a great kid."

"I know, right?" Victor agreed proudly, "I can't believe how fast she's learning languages and her skating is already advanced."

"You looked like you were having a lot of fun when you two were skating together to the music after practice," Yuuri commented.

He paused and looked out the car window, his smile fading slightly.

"I just wish we didn't have to worry every time we have to leave her for a minute," he sighed, "Victor, just keeping our stalker at bay isn't going to make things any safer for us."

"I know that," Victor agreed, slipping and hand into Yuuri's and squeezing gently, "That's why were going to see the new investigator. She's supposed to be really good at this kind of thing, so maybe she will be able to find out who this is."

"I hope so," Yuuri said worriedly, "We leave tomorrow for the Detroit competition. I'd feel a lot better if we had some more information by then… _something_."

"I'm sure that we'll have something more by then, and the investigator has already set up a team to assist us in America. That's where she's from."

"Right. You told me."

"Yuuri," Victor said soothingly, "I don't want you to worry about anything but the competition. You can trust the security people to protect us, and you can trust me to look out for you and Tora."

"Don't forget to look out for yourself too," Yuuri reminded him, leaning against Victor's warm shoulder.

The two were quiet as the car sped across town to the office building where they had agreed to meet. Their bodyguard led them inside, then stepped out of the room to wait as Victor and Yuuri greeted the American investigator.

"Sit over here," the tall, slim brown-haired woman invited them, indicating two chairs, "and I'll get you up to date."

"Please tell me that you've found something useful," Victor said, shaking his head, "Whoever this is has already been in a position to harm us."

"Yes, I heard," the woman agreed.

She looked at Yuuri more closely and extended a hand in greeting.

"I'm Arden Daniels," she introduced yourself, "I'm a private detective from New York."

"Victor told me," Yuuri answered, "Thank you for helping us. We're really worried after what's happened."

Yuuri felt a little shiver go through him as the woman's piercing brown eyes nearly glared into his.

 _Well, Marat said that she seemed capable, but he warned us that she can be intense._

"You don't have to worry, Mr. Katsuki," she assured him, "Leave this to me."

"Yuuri has taken my last name," Victor corrected her.

"My apologies."

Yuuri nodded.

"It's fine."

"Hmm, I've had time to look back over the work of the Russian investigators. It seems they've been diligent, but there are a few things I can add to the investigation. I did some research on possible leads, including your daughter's mother's family and the two people who have been detained for bothering Victor in the past."

"There was a pretty enthusiastic female fan who sneaked into my room once, a few years ago," Victor explained, "and I did have a relationship with a woman who was not liking me very much when I ended things."

"I also discovered that there is someone the police in Japan have detained twice for sneaking past the barriers at Yuuri's events," Arden informed them.

"What? Really?" Yuuri exclaimed anxiously, "No one ever told me that!"

The detective shrugged.

"It wasn't deemed dangerous, so the police felt there was no need to bother you with it. But, we are covering all bases, here. I also think it's important that Victor has had a number of lovers in the past, and that there could be one or more of them involved."

Victor frowned.

"Ms. Daniels, I have had several relationships in the past, but only one ended badly."

"To your knowledge," the detective corrected him, "Mr. Nikiforov, I have seen it happen many times. A relationship that seems to end amicably can flare unexpectedly into something more dangerous, especially when the subject of the perpetrator's anger does something unexpected…perhaps, like _taking his first male lover_."

Victor and Yuuri gave the woman a surprised look.

"You think this is because I started seeing Yuuri?" he asked, "Then, why did the person wait until now? Yuuri and I have been together…"

"You got married more recently, right?" the lady investigator pointed out.

"W-well, yes, but you know as well as I do that the marriage isn't recognized here or in Yuuri's homeland. Whoever is doing this must know that."

"I think you're missing the point," Arden said dryly, "Mr. Nikiforov, it is no insult to you, of course, but we see it a lot with playboys when they decide to settle down."

"Wait," Yuuri said, giving her a bewildered look, "You think someone is coming after Victor…because of _me_?"

"She didn't say that, Yuuri," Victor snapped, "I don't believe it for a minute and you shouldn't either."

"Mr. Nikiforov, I apologize for upsetting the two of you, but certain facts have to be faced if you want to stop this person from hurting you. I can't protect you properly if you have already made decisions about who this is, and you refuse to listen to me."

"I am listening to you," Victor assured her, "And it's not that I am disagreeing with you exactly. I am just saying that…"

"You are pretty convinced already that this is the work of the Mayfield family," Arden said, matter-of-factly, "and it may well be. But, there are hundreds of cases that I would not have been solved if I hadn't been thorough. That's all I'm doing here. Being thorough. You can understand that, can't you, Mr. Nikiforov?"

"Yes," Victor agreed, "I can."

"Getting to the Mayfield family. How much do you know about them?"

Victor's frown deepened.

"I don't know very much," he admitted, "Her father was a powerful man when he was alive, and as you know, Sage's letter to me that I gave you, informed me that her father demanded to know who fathered Victoria. According to her, he never learned of it. But, upon his death, one or both of Sage's siblings will have inherited his wealth"

Arden nodded.

"I have a pretty good knowledge of the Mayfield family's reputation. I happen to agree that they are the prime suspect in the stalking, but proving that is going to be difficult. Let's look at the players."

Arden turned her attention to the computer on her desk, tapping at the keys for a few minutes, then turning the monitor so that her two clients could see.

"This is Kirkland Mayfield, Sage's brother, and the child that was chosen to succeed Sage's father. He has a reputation with the ladies, although he secretly sees men as well. Daddy didn't know that, and it's better he didn't, because he would have disowned his son for such a thing. As tolerant as America is, the Mayfield family is hyper-conservative. So, Kirkland is careful of his image. He doesn't get his hands dirty. If this is him, he will capably protect himself. He'll be slippery."

Arden touched several more buttons and a woman's picture appeared that made Victor catch his breath in surprise.

"Sage…"

"No, this is Sage's sister, Antonia. She works in theatre, and she's a bit of a free spirit, but she always acted proper around her father, and, like her brother, she was careful of her reputation. She was devastated when her sister died, even though their father had forbid any contact between them long before, when Victoria was born."

Arden looked up at the two men and shook her head.

"You know, I don't understand how Mr. Mayfield missed the fact that she named Victoria after you."

"Well," Victor explained, "Sage and I only were together for a day or so."

"And you had no contact with her after that? None at all?" Arden asked, "Are you sure, Mr. Nikiforov?"

"What are you saying? You think I'm lying?" Victor demanded, "I have no reason to do that! I told you. Sage and I spent the night of the performance together. That's all there was. We parted friends, and I never knew about Victoria until she arrived here."

"All right. I just needed to be sure. Did you ever have contact with any of her family, before or after your…encounter?"

"No," Victor said firmly, "I never met them, not before and not after."

"Hmm, does this person look familiar to you?" Arden asked, calling up another photo.

Victor studied the picture carefully.

"She looks vaguely familiar, but…I don't think so."

Arden nodded.

"She looks familiar, because _she_ is a _he_. This is Kirkland Mayfield, using his alter-ego, Kate Mylan. He did this to allow himself to date men in public without giving anything away."

"And no one ever figured this out?" Yuuri mused, "I mean, he had to be living in constant fear his father would…"

"I think you see now," Arden said approvingly, "Both of Sage Mayfield's siblings had their own disagreements with Daddy, but they at least put on a show of being obedient. Now, I found out that there was a lover that was with _Kate_ , and when they broke up, he disappeared without a trace. He's a missing person, and Kate, of course, was investigated, but cleared. A lot of money kept it from becoming front page news, but I have my ways of getting what other people can't."

"I think Yuuri and I are glad you are on our side," Victor sighed.

"You should be," Arden huffed, "Realize that to eliminate all other possibilities, I did investigate both you and Yuuri also."

"What?" Yuuri yelped, staring, "You think Victor or me would just make this stuff up? We had witnesses to what happened."

Arden shrugged.

"People do all kinds of weird things for their own reasons, sometimes to get attention or to make a lover more vulnerable. I had to be sure nothing like that was going on."

"Just being thorough," Victor said warily.

"Right," Arden agreed, "Don't worry. I don't think either of you set this up. I think the Mayfields are a strong possibility, but if they are responsible, proving that is going to be difficult, even for me. It still could be a rabid fan or a spurned lover, but I haven't found any definite sign of it being one or the other."

"So, we're really still at square one," Yuuri said unhappily, "This doesn't make me feel very good about the trip to America. Victor, maybe you and Tora should stay here."

"What?" Victor objected, "Yuuri, I'm your coach! I need to be with you when you compete. And we can't let this person dictate how we live."

"But what about Tora, Victor?" Yuuri demanded, "What if something happens to her? I know you love her. I love her too, and I don't want anything to happen to her!"

Their attention of each other, the two men missed how closely the lady agent was watching them.

"I don't want anything to happen to her either, but there are some things we have to keep doing, Yuuri. We are skaters. We have to get out in the public and skate. That's who we are! If we don't do that, we are dead as competitors. You know that!"

"Fine. I'll go by myself. I'll take a bodyguard with me and…"

"You are not going to compete without me there, Yuuri!" Victor shouted, his blue-green eyes flashing, "It's not happening!"

"Mr. Nikiforov," Arden said suddenly, "maybe you should listen to your husband. I know that you are his coach, but you and Victoria may be taking unnecessary chances by going along on this trip."

"She's right," Yuuri said anxiously, "I know you want to be there with me. I really want you and Tora there too! But I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I know how you feel," Victor said more sympathetically, "I understand. But sometimes you have to take calculated risks, or living just isn't living anymore. Yuuri, you know how much it means to me to be there with you when you compete. I gave up a year of competition to encourage you so that we could do this. I'm not going to stop living, and I'm not going to teach my daughter to be courageous enough to stand up for herself if I let someone like this decide where and when I will do things. I'm not taking foolish risks. Victoria and I will have protection, just like you will. We are going together, Yuuri. That's the end of it."

Yuuri gave his husband a crestfallen look, but nodded in acceptance.

"I think you're making a mistake," Arden said quietly, "but I will, of course, respect your wishes. I'm going to come along with you, although I will be keeping a low profile, so you won't see me. I'll spend the time observing Kirkland and Antonia Mayfield. You will hear from me if I find anything."

"Thank you," Victor said gratefully, "Yuuri and I feel reassured, having you on the case."

Yuuri followed Victor silently, his worried eyes focused on the ground as they returned to the waiting car and Victor was qually silent until the drive home was underway.

"I'm sorry, Yuuri," Victor apologized after a few moments, "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. It's just that, even though I'm afraid for us, I don't want us to become so afraid that we aren't living. Before I came to coach you, I was beginning to understand what it was like, being alive, but not really living. As much as I had the respect of the skating world, I knew it wasn't sustainable if I didn't have motivation. You and Victoria are my motivation for living. I want us to be a family, to do the things that normal family's do, and to do the things that we do because we're not so normal too. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do," Yuuri answered softly, letting his head drop onto Victor's shoulder and breathing in his warm, attractive scent, "I'm just scared."

"That's understandable," Victor sighed, kissing him comfortingly, "It's a scary situation. But, we will be careful. We'll be all right, I promise you."

"Okay," Yuuri whispered, kissing him back and holding on with clenching fingers, "just be really careful. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you or Tora. I love you both so much!"

"Tora and I love you too, Yuuri," Victor assured him, "It's going to be all right. We're going to go to America, and you are going to win the Skate America competition."

"I'll do my best," Yuuri promised.

"You have beautiful short and free programs," Victor said approvingly, "and you've worked hard to perfect them. You will do well. I know you will."

"Thanks, that means a lot."

Yuuri's eyes closed and he rested quietly for the remainder of the drive. They reached the house without incident and said their farewells to their two friends.

"Tora had some trouble falling asleep without you there," Otabek reported, "I think she's still worried about someone trying to hurt all of you."

"She's right to feel that way," Yurio said shortly, "You two watch out on your trip."

"We will," Yuuri replied, smiling gratefully, "Thanks, Yurio."

"Don't let it go to your head, pork cutlet bowl," Yurio teased him, "I just want to kick your ass properly later in the Grand Prix Final, and I can't do that if someone kills you."

"R-right," Yuuri laughed.

"Good night," Otabek said, slipping his arm around Yurio.

"Good night," Victor and Yuuri said together.

They watched as their friends left, then turned back into the house, where they looked in on their sleeping daughter, then undressed and laid down in their bed together.

"Sleep well, Yuuri," Victor said, kissing his husband goodnight.

"Mmhmm," Yuuri mumbled, curling close to Victor and settling down to sleep.

But several times in the night, he woke, shivering, even though the room wasn't cold and feeling anxious.

 _There's something not sitting quite right with me, although I can't put my finger on what it is. It's something about the meeting with Detective Daniels. What was it that left me feeling that something wasn't right? She seems to know what she's doing and she promised to help us. I just can't help feeling like there's something underneath that meeting that's making me feel nervous._

 _What was it?_

 _What made me feel like this?_

He dropped off again, into an uneasy sleep, still seeing the detective's intense, glaring eyes looking back at him.


	10. Perfect Ten

**Chapter 10: Perfect Ten**

Victor rested quietly in his first class seat aboard a huge airliner, watching as Yuuri and Tora finished the last of their dinner. He glanced up at the flight attendant who waited nearby and gave her a little nod. The attendant smiled and walked back to the preparation area, then returned a few minutes later, carrying a small cake with ten candles on top. Yuuri smiled widely, and Tora's face lit more brightly than the candles as the first class cabin filled with congratulatory singing. Tora waited until the singing ended, then she closed her eyes for a moment.

 _I wish…well, I really wish Mom could come back, but since I know she can't, then I wish that nothing bad happens to Daddy, Yuuri-san or me. I lost my family and I'm lucky I found this one. I can't lose Daddy and Yuuri-san too! Please let us be safe?_

She took a deep breath and exhaled, swiftly extinguishing all but one of the candles on the first try. She wasn't sure why, but a little shiver went through her insides.

 _I'm sure it's fine._

 _We'll be okay._

Victor bent and removed a package from his carryon as Yuuri did the same.

"Presents too!" Tora exclaimed excitedly, "I didn't even know if you would know it was my birthday."

"I paid attention to the papers that came with you," Victor assured her, "We may be on a long flight, but Yuuri and I are determined to make sure you have a fun birthday."

Tora accepted her father's gift and politely opened the card first.

"Happy birthday, Tora," she read, "May your special day be filled with good things. I'm sorry that I have not been with you for all of the birthdays before this. And I promise to share all of your birthdays with you from now on. Love, Dad"

She smiled widely and hugged Victor tightly.

"Thank you, Daddy!"

She turned her attention to the little wrapped box her father had given her, and tore the decorative paper away. She opened the little blue box inside and gasped excitedly, covering her mouth with one hand, unable to take her eyes off of the beautiful golden V shaped pendant inside. The cursive V was made from brushed gold and had tiny wings at the top of each side and a small diamond in the center at the base.

"Daddy, it's so pretty!" she managed, "Thank you so much!"

"Your welcome," Victor replied, picking up the pendant and fastening the dainty gold rope chain around her neck, "I hope you like it. It was the prettiest one I could find."

"It's really beautiful, Daddy! I love it!" Tora exclaimed, hugging him again and kissing him on the cheek.

" _Tanjo-bi omedetou_ , Tora-chan," Yuuri said, handing her the package he had brought for her.

Tora grinned and bowed respectfully as she accepted the gift from him.

" _Arigato gozaimasu_ ," she said, making Yuuri smile.

" _Ieie_ ," Yuuri answered, blushing slightly.

Tora opened the card and tilted her head a little as she admired the pretty butterflies and Japanese writing in calligraphy inside, then she read the pronunciation Yuuri had included for her.

" _Anatano negaiga subete kanaimasuyouni_."

"It means, _May all your birthday wishes come true_ ," Yuuri translated.

"That's so nice!" she said, hugging Yuuri and making his blush darken.

The wrapping looked so perfect and so lovely that Tora unwrapped the gift more carefully, making sure not to tear the delicate looking paper. She opened the box inside and gazed adoringly at the glittering hair decorations inside.

"They're really pretty, Yuuri-san!" she said, setting the package down and hugging him again.

"I was hoping you would like them," Yuuri answered, watching as she selected one of the dainty pieces and handed it to him.

Yuuri separated a little length of her silvery hair and wound it into the device so that it hung in the hairs on the right side of her face. Tora dug through her bag and found a little mirror, then angled it to see the shiny accessory.

"I love it! It's really pretty, Yuuri-san. Thank you so much!"

"I think it looks beautiful," Victor agreed.

He studied Tora for a moment.

"You know, I was wondering if there was some way that you used to celebrate your birthday before," he said, watching his daughter's face carefully, "I don't know if maybe you still want to do something that you and Sage did together, or if that might be something you wanted to keep just between you and her."

Tora's brow furrowed slightly as she considered.

"Well, we did have a favorite restaurant we went to in Detroit," Tora explained, "That's where we're going to be for Yuuri-san's competition, right?"

"That's right," Victor affirmed, "So if you want to go there while we're visiting the USA, we can."

"Sure! That would be great," Tora said excitedly, "Would it be okay if I ask my friends, Johnna and Nico if they want to go too?"

"Sure," Victor said easily.

"Nico is going to faint when he sees you," the silver haired girl laughed, "I didn't tell you about my friends before, but Nico is a big fan of yours."

"Is that right?" Victor said, looking amused.

"Uh-huh. He said when he was old enough to start doing quads, he would learn to do the quadruple flip like you do."

"That's a difficult jump," Yuuri said appreciatively, "It took me a long time to master it."

"Nico is fourteen, and he can already do a triple flip," Tora said excitedly.

"He must be pretty talented," Yuuri said appreciatively.

"He is," Tora gushed, earning a curious look from her father, "He can do a triple axel too."

"He sounds precocious," Victor mused.

"Last year, we did an ice dance together for an exhibition. Nico's family is from Mexico, so we used a Spanish song. Nico said it was cheesy, but I thought it was pretty. It was the first time I skated in front of a lot of people."

"Were you nervous?" Yuuri asked, "I sure was the first time I performed in front of a crowd."

"I almost started crying, but Nico said just focus on him and on our music, and forget the audience was there. I had so much fun, I forgot there were people watching. I almost slipped and fell when they started clapping and cheering at the end."

"It sounds like you enjoyed it," Victor said, his expression still slightly piqued.

Yuuri noticed his partner's reaction and bit his lip gently.

 _It's kind of funny to see Victor reacting like a father. He's so protective of Tora-chan. It doesn't seem like she understands he's having this reaction. I hope things go all right when Victor and Nico meet. It seems like Tora-chan and Nico might have been close, like Yu-chan and me. Victor's never said whether or not he had a friend like that, growing up. I wonder…_

He was distracted out of his thoughts as the flight attendant served their cake with cups of fruit punch to drink. Yuuri looked out the window, thinking quietly as Victor and Tora continued to talk.

 _With everything so peaceful, it's easy to forget that there's danger lurking around us on this trip. Detective Daniels said that she would be going to the USA ahead of us, and would meet with us there to discuss our security needs. It's going to be hard to concentrate on the competition with that hanging over us. I'm glad we have our bodyguards._

 _I just hope that will be enough to protect us._

He felt Victor's eyes on him and gave his handsome partner a little smile.

"Are you getting anxious already, Yuuri?" Victor asked, "We haven't even landed, and once we're there, we have several days before the beginning of the competition. You're going to do well. You've looked good in every practice session we've done."

"Thanks," Yuuri said gratefully, "I'm glad you think so. I feel pretty confident. I guess it's just that I'd gotten so used to being in Saint Petersburg. It had started to really feel like home."

Victor gave him a pleased look and slipped an arm around him.

"You think so?" he asked, kissing Yuuri on the cheek, making Tora giggle, "I was worried that after we grew so used to being with your family in Hasetsu, you might feel homesick when you moved away. I was homesick when I left Saint Petersburg to coach you for those months. But your family helped me to feel more at home."

"At first I did really miss having my family around, but I'd already been away from home for five years before that, so it wasn't as much of a shock as it could have been. Then…well, it seems like when Tora arrived and everything started to happen, I felt us growing closer, and all of a sudden, it was being in Saint Petersburg with you and Tora that felt more like home to me."

Yuuri made a sound of surprise as Tora's eyes misted and she sniffed softly.

"S-sorry!" he apologized.

"I'm not upset," Tora assured him, sniffing again, "It was just really nice of Yuuri-san to say something like that."

"It shouldn't surprise you," Yuuri said, smiling kindly, "From that first minute, when I saw you standing on our doorstep, all I wanted to do was to take care of you and make you feel at home."

"But you didn't even know me!" Tora objected, sniffing harder, "And I got so mad at you and got you thrown in jail and everything."

"Tora," Yuuri said, shaking his head and smiling more warmly, "no one's perfect. People always make mistakes and have to fix them. That's the way things work. You're just a kid, and you had just lost your mom. You were brought to another country and left with people you didn't know. Sure, you made some pretty big mistakes, but you learned from them. And I feel like things are a lot better now, don't you?"

"Uh-huh," the girl agreed, wiping her eyes, "I like when you help me with my Russian and Japanese."

"It's more fun for me to learn Russian with you too," Yuuri said, glancing upward as a chime sounded and the _Fasten Belt_ light came on.

"Looks like we're almost there," Victor said, smiling.

They watched out the window together as the plane landed, then disembarked and passed through customs before collecting their things and heading out to a waiting limousine.

"Daddy, have you been here before?" Tora asked, "I just don't know what places you would know about."

"I came here for competitions before," Victor answered, following her gaze out the car window, "But I never really got farther than the ice rink and night clubs."

"Victor," Yuuri complained.

"What? She asked what I knew," Victor said, smirking.

"Well, _I_ know Detroit because I lived here too."

"It's funny and weird that you lived in the same place I did, and we didn't know that we would someday be in a family together."

"Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed something like that," Yuuri laughed, "I never thought I'd be coming back here, married to Victor and being in a new family."

"I feel sad that Mom's not here," Tora admitted, "I have a strange feeling like she should come and get me, but in my head, I know that's not really going to happen. It's both good and sad to be here."

"I understand how you feel," Victor said, slipping a hand into hers, "and if there is anything I can do while we're here, anyplace I can take you that you want to visit, we will go."

"Thanks, Daddy!" Tora exclaimed, hugging him.

Victor and Yuuri exchanged smiles.

"So, were you able to talk to your friends to tell them you're going to be here?" asked Yuuri.

Tora nodded.

"Daddy helped me call Johnna, and me and Johnna decided we're going to surprise Nico that I'm back."

"Is that right," Victor asked, his smile fading slightly, "What kind of surprise are you planning?"

"We talked about setting a time during Nico's practice and going to the ice rink."

"I could give you my practice times," Yuuri offered, "If any of the times coordinate, you could come over with me."

"Are you sure you want to disrupt the boy's practice. If he's preparing for competition…"

"Don't be silly, Victor," Yuuri laughed, "Tora and Nico are best friends. They haven't seen each other for awhile. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem to just visit him there. It's where she and Nico met, right?"

"Hmm."

Tora gave Victor a curious look.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" she asked, frowning, "Do you really think I shouldn't surprise Nico at the ice rink?"

"Eh," Victor mused, shifting in his seat, "I suppose it's no problem if you want to do that. I was just not wanting to interrupt your friend's schedule. Just be sure that your friend, Johnna, speaks to Nico's coach beforehand."

"I will," Tora promised.

Tora's eyes rounded as she looked out the car window and spotted the hotel they were approaching.

"We're staying here?" she asked excitedly, "Mom and I used to drive past here all of the time! And I would say I wanted to go there and Mom would say, "Oh, are you planning to get a job to help me pay for that, kiddo?" Then, we would laugh and make jokes."

"Sage had an adorable sense of humor," Victor said suddenly, earning a quick glance from Yuuri.

 _Is he okay?_

 _I mean, Victor and Sage did decide not to be together, but from the way he talks about that little bit of time they spent together, it seems like it gave him something he really needed back then. I should probably talk to Victor later to make sure he's all right. I've been so focused on how all of this has been affecting Tora, I forgot that Victor was surprised by learning of Sage's death too. It's probably complicated, sorting out his feelings about that. Sometimes, there are people who aren't in your life for long, but they do something or say something that stays with you. Sage seems to be one of those people for Victor._

"It's funny hearing you talk about Mommy like you knew her," Tora said, cocking her head slightly.

"Well, I only knew her for a short time, but we did practice and skate together."

"That's not all they did together!" Tora fake whispered to Yuuri, giving him a very Victor-like wink.

"Young lady," Victor said sternly, "as true as that is, it is not appropriate."

"Neither is making babies with people you don't really know," Tora said, matter-of-factly.

Victor gave Yuuri a perplexed look.

"Is it just me, or has she gotten mouthier since we arrived in America?"

"Well, it is the land of the free," Yuuri snickered.

"And the hooooooooome of the braaaaaaaaaave!" Tora sang.

"We're here," their driver announced, his voice barely suppressing his amusement.

"Just in time," Victor sighed, "Come on. I don't know about the two of you, but I need a hot bath and a few Tylenols."

"Whoa!" Tora gasped, stepping out of the limousine and looking into the hotel's entrance.

Victor paused, looking around for a moment.

"Is something wrong?" asked Yuuri.

"No," Victor answered, shaking his head and starting towards the registration counter, "It's just different being with her and seeing her react like this."

"Well, Tora grew up in kind of a normal family," Yuuri reasoned.

Yuuri felt a little jolt and his breath caught softly.

 _Victor's parents sent him to live in housing close to the rink. He was still pretty young when they did that, but it wasn't unusual. The Russian government offered programs for athletes who showed a lot of promise, but sometimes it meant having them leave home at a really young age. Victor and I have never visited his parent. He barely talks about them. I suppose it makes sense then that being with Tora is beginning to remind him of that._

 _Wow…_

"Tora was lucky to have that," Victor said quietly.

"Yeah," Yuuri agreed, taking his hand and moving closer to him.

"I would have traded staying in places like this for being in that car driving by, and…"

Victor paused, well aware of the way both Yuuri and Tora were looking at him. He forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Let's get checked in."


	11. Mi tigre

**Chapter 11: Mì Tigre**

Yuuri felt the bed move, and he opened his eyes and rolled over to find Victor, naked and sliding into the bed next to him.

"Victor," he complained in a whisper, "I told you that you should wear pajamas, now that we have Tora to think about. What if she has a bad dream and needs to come in here?"

"Eh, I'll unlock the door after we're done."

Yuuri caught a whiff of alcohol on his husband's breath and scowled.

"You're drunk!" he exclaimed softly, ducking away and avoiding a kiss, "Stop it, I'm not making out with you when you're drunk."

"Come on, I've been thinking about you all night," Victor said, trapping his slighter mate beneath him and seeking his mouth again.

"Mmph, Victor!" Yuuri yelped, pushing him away, "I don't like it when you drink too much. Why did you do that? I thought you were just meeting with Detective Daniels, then you were coming back here."

"Well, we met like we planned and talked for awhile, then I decided to get something to drink after."

"The meeting must not have gone very well," Yuuri gathered, "What did she say to you?"

Victor yawned and sat up, carelessly letting the bedding fall away so that he was fully revealed.

"She did some checking into Sage's brother and sister, but found no sign that they could be involved in something like what we've been experiencing. It doesn't mean that they aren't involved. It just means that if they are, they are doing a good job of concealing it. We are basically stuck back at square one, while also being in a foreign country, two strikes, she says."

"That's not good," Yuuri said unhappily.

He started to complain again as Victor's hand slid down between his thighs, then he spotted the troubled look on his partner's face and instead relaxed his body, allowing the more intimate contact.

"No. I don't like this, Yuuri," Victor confided, "If it wasn't for the fact you are competing, and we need to be here…"

He let out a discontented breath, continuing to gently stimulate Yuuri's awakening nether region.

"Will you please let me kiss you?" Victor pleaded anxiously, "I'm stressed out and I need to feel close to you. I'll shower and clean up after. You could come in with me."

"Will you promise not to get drunk again while we're here? Especially not in front of Tora?" Yuuri asked sternly.

"I wasn't drunk in front of her," Victor objected, "I didn't even come back until I knew she would be sleeping."

"But you would be if she needed us. We need to stay sober and focused, in case there's trouble."

A look of guilt overtook Victor's usually untroubled face. Yuuri's expression softened and his fingers traced the lines of his husband's comely face.

"Victor," he whispered, "just, please at least promise that you won't drink any more tonight. Tora hasn't ever seen you act out like that. She doesn't know that side of you or that side of me, and I kind of hope she never has to see it."

Victor gave him an anguished look.

"What do you expect me to do!" he exclaimed softly, "Someone is terrorizing us, Yuuri! We are doing everything we can, but we can't figure out who they are and we can't stop them. I don't want to lose you or Tora."

"I know," Yuuri assured him, "But you have to keep it together. You have to do that for her, even though it's hard. She's just a kid, Victor. You can let down in front of me, just…don't let her see you like this. She needs to feel protected. She needs to feel safe, and that's a feeling she gets from us. We have to stay strong for her."

"And what about when, because you know it's not _if_ , Yuuri? It's _when_ this bastard makes a move. What if we can't stop it? What then?"

Yuuri looked up quietly into Victor's still anxious eyes and spread his thighs invitingly. He lifted his head off the pillow and met his husband's mouth for a long, passionate kiss, then slowly coaxed him into joining their bodies.

"We'll fight together, like we always do," Yuuri whispered, running his hands down Victor's naked back and moving his hips to deepen their connection.

Victor's worried eyes grew hazy and he returned Yuuri's fierce kisses with equal abandon. Their words gave way to a flurry of heated thrusts and soft, breathy moans and sighs as they writhed heatedly together. Victor's eyes closed and he collapsed onto Yuuri's bare, sweating shoulder, panting softly. His graceful fingers traced the gentle curves of his husband's body as he caught his breath and loosed it in a sigh.

"Thank you for calming me down," he whispered, kissing Yuuri on a blushing cheek, "I know I shouldn't get like that. I was just…worried, and I didn't know what to do."

"It's okay," Yuuri reassured him, "I don't always know what to do either."

Victor smiled.

"I should go and shower," he sighed, "I probably smell like I just crawled out of a bottle of vodka."

"You don't smell too bad," Yuuri chuckled, nuzzling close to him, "You can wait til morning, if you want."

"No, I'd better clean up in case Tora wakes up during the night. I do think it's important to be a good father to her. I didn't have much of an example to learn form, but that's no excuse for not doing right by her."

Yuuri bit his lips gently, his mind going back to his husband's reaction to Tora's behavior upon seeing the fancy hotel.

"You shouldn't feel guilty, Victor," he said quietly, lacing their fingers together, "You didn't know you had a daughter."

"No, but I really wish I had," he said softly, "I didn't spend much time with my own parents after I qualified to train pre-professionally as a very young child. I was eight years old when I moved to the dormitory at the training facility. I wasn't abused, or anything like that, but the hours were long, and I only saw my family on the weekends. Then later, not so much at all. When I was barely older than Tora, I was slipping out and drinking with the others. I never tried the drugs, but more because I was scared it would be discovered in the drug tests that we had to submit to before each season started. Don't get me wrong. I've always loved skating, and I don't regret doing as I did. I don't blame my parents for sending me away. I had talent, and I needed to be where I could develop it. I just…missed a lot."

Yuuri nodded sympathetically.

"Well, you made up for some lost time when you came to Hasetsu, right?"

"Right," Victor agreed, kissing Yuuri's lips warmly, "Your parents are wonderful. I felt like I was back in a family the moment I stepped in the door. Yuuri, I want Tora to have something more like what you had. I know that our fame is going to impact her life, but I still want there to be fun for her. I want her to enjoy being a child. I don't want her to have too many worries."

"I know," Yuuri agreed, "I feel the same."

"I wonder if letting her enter professional competition will be good for her. Maybe it would be better for her not to have that pressure."

"What are you talking about? Tora loves to skate. You know that," Yuuri chuckled, "You're just stressed out. You should try to go to sleep."

"You're sure I don't smell too bad."

"You don't smell too bad. You can shower when you get up…although, you'll probably be hung over. Why don't you sleep in, and I'll take Tora down to practice with me. I think she's meeting her friends there anyway."

"Hmm."

"Victor?"

"What?"

"You're not still disapproving her surprising that boy, right?"

"Don't stress me out, okay?"

"Heh, okay."

XXXXXXXXXX

Yuuri slipped out of bed in the morning, leaving his still sleeping husband softly snoring, and he dressed and left the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. Tora scampered over from where she'd been looking out the floor to ceiling windows of the high rise. She smiled up at Yuuri.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked, "Doesn't he usually get up early?"

"Yeah, he does," Yuuri chuckled, "but he's sleeping in a little. I have to get a quick bite to eat and get down to the ice rink. And you are meeting your friends, right?"

"Uh-huh," Tora said, her smile brightening, "We have it all set up with Nico's coach. He's going to be so surprised! Can we go now?"

"Sure," Yuuri laughed, "let's go."

The two met their bodyguard at the door, and they took the elevator to the first floor, where a limousine waited outside the front entrance. They stopped first at a little café to eat, then headed on to the Detroit training facility. The two put on their skates, and Tora looked around and found where her female friend waited.

"Johnna!" Tora exclaimed softly, grabbing her friend and hugging her tightly.

"Tora, oh my god! I didn't know if you were ever coming back! We were all so surprised when you just disappeared. You know, Nico was really scared for you. I was too."

"Sorry," Tora said ruefully, "These people just showed up and said that Mom wanted me to go to my dad in Russia."

"I can't believe that Victor Nikiforov is your father!" Johnna exclaimed.

"Neither could I!"

"He's married to Yuuri Katsuki, who used to train here, right?"

"Yeah," Tora said, turning back to where Yuuri was sitting and adjusting the laces on one of his skates, "Want to meet him?"

"Can I really?" the other girl said excitedly.

"Sure, come on."

Tora grabbed her hand and the two ran to Yuuri.

"Johnna," Tora said, "this is my…um."

She paused, blushing.

"Well, Yuuri's kind of like my other dad. He's married to my dad."

"So, sort of like a step-mom, er, step-dad," Johnna concluded.

Tora grinned.

"Yuuri's my best friend in Russia. Yuuri, this is my best American friend, Johnna Williams."

"It's nice to meet you, Johnna," Yuuri said, bowing, then shaking the delighted teen's hand politely.

Johnna glanced at her watch.

"C'mon, Tora," she said, grabbing Tora's hand again, "We've got it all ready."

The two ran over to where a teen boy was skating, Johnna keeping herself positioned so that the youth wouldn't see who was with her. Tora ducked behind the skating rink wall and waited as her friend moved to the boom box, where the boy's music was playing. She stopped the music, earning a curious look from the boy.

"What are you doing, Johnna?" he complained, "I'm right in the middle of something."

"Eh, his coach said, giving the girl a knowing wink, "you can take a break for a minute. I need to do something anyway. I'll be right back."

"O-kay," Nico answered, looking befuddled, "that was weird."

"Weird, huh?" Johnna giggled, "What do you think of this?"

She started the music, watching and giggling again at the annoyed look the boy gave her.

"Thanks a lot, _idiota_ ," he complained, "You're not very nice, teasing me about her."

"Who says I'm teasing," Johnna said, stepping aside.

Tora appeared from behind the ice rink wall, smiling as she skated to her floored friend and extended a hand.

"Tora?" Nico exclaimed, blinking in shock as he accepted her hand, "You're back?"

"For awhile," the blushing girl answered, turning so that his arm was around her, "I'll explain in a minute. Can we skate first?"

Nico broke into a wide, happy grin.

"Sure, little _tigre_!" he laughed.

Yuuri leaned against the wall, watching and smiling as the two began an ice dance, set to a pretty Spanish song.

 _She reminds me so much of Victor sometimes. She's a really beautiful girl. They look at each other the way Yuko and I always did. They must have been really close before Tora was taken away._

"So, that is _him_?" Victor said suddenly from Yuuri's side.

"Victor! I thought you were sleeping in," Yuuri said, greeting his piqued husband with a warm kiss."

"I wanted to see who this boy is," Victor said, frowning and studying the two friends, "He sure has his arms around her a lot."

"Well, of course he does," Yuuri snickered, "it's an ice dance."

"I know what it is," Victor said irritably, "I know _exactly_ what it is."

"What?" Yuuri inquired, turning his head to observe Victor's uncharacteristic scowl, "What do you think it is? It's just two friends, who haven't seen each other for awhile."

"You know what I mean," Victor said, more sternly, "Yuuri, I was only a little older than Tora when I started chasing girls, and the way that boy is looking at her."

"Calm down, will you?" Yuuri said, laying a hand on his husband's arm, "They're just acting because it's the routine they did together before. Tora told us about it, remember?"

"I remember, but that doesn't mean that he can put his hands all over her."

"He's just lifting her," Yuuri laughed, "Come on. Lighten up. They're just dancing together. It's kind of sweet, don't you think? And that song is pretty."

"What song is that?" Victor asked.

"It's _Me enamore de ti_ by Chayanne," Yuuri answered.

"A Spanish love song?" Victor mused, his eyes darkening.

Victor took a step away, but stopped again, gazing at Yuuri in surprise as his husband gave him a stern look.

"Don't go over there and mess this up for her," Yuuri warned him.

"Tora is ten years old, Yuuri," Victor objected, "and that boy…"

"That boy is her very best friend," Yuuri said pointedly, "Just like Yu-chan was my very best friend growing up. Even before I understood that I was attracted to a man, I was only ever friends with Yuko. We were best friends, and there was never anything else, okay? We skated to love songs, and no one ever mistook it for more than it was. So, I think you should take it easy and don't judge what you haven't been here to see. Tora's been through a lot. She needs her friends."

"Hmm," Victor huffed, returning to Yuuri's side and bristling as Nico's arms curled around Tora, and he dipped her gently, "I'm not so sure she needs that one."

"Stop it," Yuuri said in an exasperated tone, "Cause you know if you wreck this for her, she's going to be really mad at you."

"Sometimes you have to let your kids be mad at you," Victor argued.

"Yeah, when they're doing something wrong," Yuuri replied, shaking his head, "But they're not. Look at them. They're just happy to see each other. He must have been really worried about her when she disappeared like that. I know how worried I would have been if Yuko had disappeared while we were kids."

Victor gritted his teeth, glaring as the two skated past, and Nico lowered Tora into a perfect death spiral.

"You think I'm overreacting?"

"Just a little," Yuuri laughed, "Relax. Tora's perfectly safe."

"Eh, you're probably right," Victor sighed, "I'm just tense."

"She's your daughter. You're just trying to protect her. I get it," Yuuri said cheerfully, "But, I don't think you need to be worried about Nico. He seems like a really nice kid."

"He's fourteen. He's a horny boy," Victor scoffed.

"He's her friend," Yuuri said warningly, as the music ended and Nico hugged Tora tightly, then kissed her on the cheek, making Victor stiffen, "Be nice."

Yuuri and Victor walked over to where the two skaters were stepping off the ice. Noco's brown eyes widened at seeing Victor and his also famous Japanese partner.

"Wow, Victor Nikiforov!" Nico gasped, extending a hand, "It's really great… _amazing_ to meet you!"

Yuuri shot Victor a look of warning, and his partner sighed and accepted the boy's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, Nico. I hear you and my Tora are good friends."

"Yeah," Nico agreed, "she's the best. Before she left, we were thinking of maybe being partners for pairs skating."

"Pairs skating. Ice dancing," Victor mused, "Looks like you're multi-talented."

"Oh, the ice dance was just for an exhibition," Nico explained, "It was for a charity event. Everyone really liked it. They said we made a good couple…erm, for the skating, that is."

"Hmm."

"You're here for the Grand Prix Series competition, right?" Nico asked.

"That's right," Yuuri answered, "I'm competing and Victor's here as my coach."

"Wow, I didn't think I'd ever get to meet the two of you, and you're Tora's dad! I had no idea."

"Right, well, it's nice meeting you, but we have to go. Yuuri's training, you know. Come, Tora."

"But…"

"Oh, Mr. Nikiforov, I'm done with my practice. Would you mind if I took Tora down to the amusement park? It's not far."

"Well…"

Victor flinched as Yuuri poked him in the ribs.

"Er, I suppose it's fine, but Tora has a bodyguard, who is not supposed to lose sight of her. She can go, as long as you two don't slip away from him. Got it?"

"No problem!" Nico promised.

"Thanks Daddy. See you and Yuuri later!"

Victor's scowl returned as Yuuri kissed him and patted him on the cheek.

"You did the right thing," he assured his unhappy husband.

"Maybe, but I kind of feel like smacking that boy. _We make a great couple_ ," Victor scoffed, "I'm going to have eyes on that boy, every minute."

"I'm sure he won't mind," Yuuri said, grinning, "He really idolizes you."

"Great…"


	12. Broken Lines

**Chapter 12: Broken Lines**

 **(My deepest thanks to everyone reading and reviewing. I appreciate your ongoing support for this story! :) Please enjoy the new chapter. I will have more for you soon. Love to all, Spunky)**

Yuuri skated out to the middle of the arena and took up his beginning position, waiting as Victor touched a button on the remote he carried to start the program's music. A few feet from the silver-haired man, Tora and Nico sat in a set of bleachers, chatting happily as they watched Yuuri begin.

"Don't forget," Victor said firmly, "I want cleaner turns and better control of your free leg this time."

"Got it!" Yuuri called back, heading into a graceful turn, then changing directions and gaining speed.

"Tighter arms. They're looking floppy. If you want to seduce me, make it graceful. If you flop around like a turkey, I'll just want to eat you for dinner."

"Victor!"

"Just kidding…sort of. You're doing great. Show me the quad-triple now."

Nico made a soft sound of appreciation as Yuuri completed a perfect quad toe loop and triple toe loop, then turned and began to gain speed again.

"He's really good, but man, your dad is bossy. I thought my coach was tough."

"Well, my dad didn't get to be a world champion by taking it easy. His coach pushed him hard too, but Dad pushed himself even harder. He wanted so much to succeed."

"I don't know how Yuuri doesn't get mad at him for all of that scolding," Nico chuckled, "Is that because they're a married couple now? Oh, but that would make them argue more, wouldn't it"

"Stop that, dummy!" Tora laughed as Victor skated out to Yuuri to take up a position alongside him, "Whatever you want to say, look at how great they are. My dad looks like he's yelling at Yuuri all of the time, but being tough on him and making him work hard is how my dad shows Yuuri his love. Yuuri knows that, and so he ignores the yelling and scolding and he listens to what Dad tells him to do."

"Well, I guess it works," Nico said, shaking his head, "I can't argue with how good they are."

Victor's cell phone rang suddenly, and the silver-haired skater's blue-green eyes rotated to look at it for a moment, then he left Yuuri's side to answer it.

"Take a little break," he said, heading off of the ice to take the call as Yuuri followed and took a moment to sip at his water and wipe his sweaty face with a little towel.

"You two go ahead," Yuuri said, nodding towards the ice, "Stretch your legs."

"C'mon," Tora laughed, taking Nico's hand, "While Dad's busy, let's practice a little. If we want to be partners someday, we need to get good."

"Right," Nico agreed, letting himself be tugged to the edge of the rink.

The two removed their blade covers and headed onto the ice. Yuuri smiled and leaned against the rink wall, watching the two. Nico put a stern look on his face and clapped his hands sharply as Victor had, making Tora turn her head and narrow her eyes playfully.

"Let's do this again and I want to see more control of that free leg!"

"Stop it!" Tora laughed, "Yuuri-san, can we borrow your music?"

"Sure," Yuuri answered, picking up the remote and touching the button to start the song.

"What do you want to do?" Nico asked.

Tora shrugged.

"Warm up and then lifts? Lifts are fun."

The teen boy nodded and followed as Tora led him through a short warm up. They transitioned into several single jumps, then a few doubles before stopping in the middle of the rink. Tora skated a short distance away, then approached several times, starting the lift, but dropping back down again each time. After a little of that, she met her partner's eyes questioningly.

"Ready?" she asked.

Nico nodded.

"Ready."

Tora skated away, then turned an skated towards him as he skated backwards. Neither noticed that Victor had finished his call and was standing alongside Yuuri, watching them with slightly narrowed eyes.

"No floppy arms now," Tora snickered, "I don't want you being a clutz and dropping me."

"Don't get me with your toe pick like last time, _tigre_ ," Nico laughed, "If you want to seduce me, make it graceful or I'll eat you up like a Thanksgiving turkey!"

At the edge of the ice, Yuuri bit his lip to avoid smiling and Victor scowled. The pair on the ice executed a clean lift and rotation, but as the boy lowered Tora back onto the ice, his arm wobbled slightly, throwing her off balance. She started to fall, but he managed to loop an arm around her to keep her on her feet.

"Sorry," he said, blushing as he looked into her eyes apologetically, "I guess I need to work on that.

"It's okay," Tora laughed, "At least you didn't drop me."

"Tora," Victor said, his voice uncharacteristically tensed, "I have to leave for an appointment and Yuuri needs to practice. I want you to go back to the hotel with your bodyguard and work on your next Russian lesson."

Tora gave him a crestfallen look.

"But, you said that I could watch Yuuri-san practice, and I'm visiting with Nico!"

"I said, you need to go back to the hotel. You've spent enough time with that boy since we arrived here."

"Victor," Yuuri objected.

He stiffened and went silent as Victor's hand touched his arm in warning.

"Mr. Nikiforov," Nico said, his voice wavering slightly, "Tora's only going to be here for a week and I really want to spend as much time as I can with her while she's here."

"I…"

"Please, Victor," Yuuri interrupted, "maybe we should listen to what Nico wants to say."

Victor stiffened, but he nodded briefly for the boy to continue.

"Tora is my best friend, and I really want to compete in pairs skating with her someday as my partner."

"I don't know how that would work," Victor sighed, shaking his head, "Tora lives in Russia now and you live here."

"Dad, could Nico come and train in Russia? Yuuri-san does, and he's from Japan."

"That's different."

"Or I could train here," Tora suggested.

"Tora, you know that won't work with the way things are. You are both too young to be traveling away so far, living away from your families. If you want to do pairs skating, you can try to work that out when you're both older. For now…"

"For now, what?" Tora shouted, tears flooding her eyes, "You aren't even going to let me spend time with Nico while I'm here for a week. And once I go back, I'll never get to see him!"

"You live in Russia now," Victor said firmly, "There are plenty of ways you can keep in touch without living in the same place. People do it all of the time."

"You just don't understand _anything_ , do you?" Tora howled, turning and burying her face in Nico's shoulder, "Nico is the best friend I ever had and you want to take that away from me!"

"No, I didn't say that," Victor assured her, "Come now, get your skates off. We need to go."

"Maybe you better do what he says," Nico said softly, "I don't want you to get in trouble and not be able to see me at all before you go."

"No!" Tora sobbed, clinging as he tried to gently push her away.

"Tora, it'll be okay," he continued, his dark eyes clouding, "I promise I'll stay in touch with you. No matter what happens, you and I are going to stay best friends."

"But…I don't have anyone in Russia…j-just Dad and Yuuri-san, but I don't have any friends. Not like you and Johnna. I don't speak Russian very well yet. I can't even go to school."

"Victor," Yuuri said, lowering his eyes cautiously, "couldn't she just stay until the end of my practice?"

"You need to concentrate."

"I will. They'll just be right there in the bleachers. We have our bodyguard here. Does she really have to leave now?"

Victor gave his spouse a perplexed look, then stole a glance at Tora, who looked back at him through teary, hopeful eyes.

"I'll do two Russian lessons before bed," she promised, "Please, Daddy?"

Victor let out an agitated breath.

"All right," he said unhappily, "but you stay here and don't leave to go anywhere. I am serious, Tora. This is for your safety."

"Okay, I'll stay here," the girl promised.

"Fine. I have to go. Yuuri, continue with what you were doing. It looks fine. You are definitely ready for the competition."

"Where are you going?" Yuuri asked, frowning, "Who was that who called you?"

"Eh, we can talk about it later," Victor said shortly, "I will meet you at the hotel for dinner."

"Um, okay," Yuuri said, watching with a worried expression as Victor hurried off.

 _What the heck…_

He turned back and found Tora and Nico sitting in the bleachers together.

"Sorry about that," he said softly to the two, "Victor is just pretty stressed out about…"

"Tora told me that someone has been threatening your family," Nico interjected, "I promise, any time Tora is with me, we'll stay with her bodyguard."

"That's good. That will take some of the worry off of Victor's mind. He's very concerned with keeping all of us safe right now."

"Yuuri-san," Tora said, rubbing her eyes, "do you think that you could talk to my dad so he won't be so mean about me spending time with Nico?"

"Oh, Tora-chan…I…I don't know if…" Yuuri stammered.

"He listened to you just now."

"Yes, he did. But I can tell that there's something on his mind that's affecting his decisions. I will talk to him later, Tora-chan, but I can't promise it will fix everything."

"I know," Tora sighed, giving him a hug, "I just don't want him to get mad and take away the only chance I have to see my friends. I don't know why he doesn't seem to like Nico! He's never done anything wrong!"

"No," Yuuri agreed, "he hasn't, that I've seen. But Victor is just thinking about your safety, and…"

"What your dad is really worried about is that I'm going to want to have you as a girlfriend, Tora," Nico said suddenly, making Tora stare back at him in dismay.

"But you…"

Tora read the look of warning on her friend's face and stopped. But Yuuri didn't miss the gesture.

 _There does seem to be something they're not saying. It may not be what Victor is worried about, but…I think I should ask._

"Tora-chan, Nico-kun, please don't take offense," Yuuri said, looking the two carefully in the eyes, "but will you be honest with me and tell me if you have any romantic feelings for each other?"

"Yuuri-san…" Tora objected.

"I have to ask, because Victor is right to be concerned that it wouldn't be okay for that to happen. And if you don't have that kind of interest in each other, then I can feel comfortable urging Victor to let you have more time together. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Tora said sadly, "and I promise, Nico is just my very best friend. We both love skating, movies, music and horseback riding. That's all."

"She's telling you the truth," Nico affirmed, "We've known each other forever. We just miss each other, and we really want to be skating partners someday. We've been talking about it for a long time. Then, Tora left and I didn't know where she was or how to get in touch with her."

"You must have been really worried," Yuuri said sympathetically.

"Yeah," Nico said, "I didn't know if I would ever see her again. And after her mom died so suddenly, I was really scared. I just wanted to know she was okay. When she came back and I saw her…I was just…so happy that she was all right. I didn't mean to give Mr. Nikiforov a reason to dislike me."

Yuuri gave the two a look of gentle acknowledgement.

"Okay. Since that's how it is, I will talk to Victor to try to smooth things over, but Tora-chan has to follow Victor's rules and try not to get him mad, all right?"

Tora gave a shaky sigh and nodded.

"I'll try," she promised.

"Good."

XXXXXXXXXX

Victor exited the ice rink and found his bodyguard waiting for him. They walked to a waiting car and climbed into the back seat, then the car pulled away from the curb and headed down the street.

"When we get there, I want you to wait outside," Victor directed the other man.

"Are you sure that's…"

"Yes," Victor interrupted, "you need to wait outside and make sure that no one is lurking about. And you are to say nothing to Yuuri about any of this."

"Yes sir."

Victor left the car, pausing to look around before heading up the stone steps in the front of a small house on the edge of the town. He knocked on the door and waited until it was opened by the lady investigator."

"Detective Daniels," Victor greeted her, "You wanted to see me? You have information for me about my case?"

"I do," the detective said, nodding, "Come in."

Victor entered the house and closed the door behind him.

"Sit down," the detective said, nodding in the direction of a small study.

Victor walked into the study and sat down in a wooden chair in front of the desk in the room. The lady detective sat down opposite him and opened a file, showing him the picture of a man with dark hair and familiar looking eyes.

"Sage's brother," he said quietly, "What about him? You said that he and Sage's sister did not seem to be involved."

"I said there was no evidence before that they were. I now feel different."

"Why is that? What's happened?" Victor asked stridently, "Is there danger to Yuuri and Victoria?"

"There is," Detective Daniels, "Sage's brother has suddenly dropped out of sight. This could mean that he realized that he was being watched, or it could mean either he or someone else is making a move. You and your husband and daughter should leave immediately."

"We can't. The competition…"

"I understand. I have warned your bodyguards to be extremely vigilant. And there is something more I can do."

Victor looked back at her questioningly, then his eyes rounded in surprise as she turned the page of her notebook and showed him the next image.

"Tell no one I have shown you this, but I want you to understand…there is something horribly dangerous happening, and if you want to live and want your family to live, you must be quiet about this and continue to do exactly as I tell you!"


	13. I'd Kill Love to Protect You

**Chapter 13: I'd Kill Love to Protect You**

Tora sat on a tall barstool, leaning over the counter of the wet bar in the hotel suite, and staring intently at the page she was reading. She bit her lip gently, furrowing her brow in a way that instantly remined Yuuri of his still absent husband. From the place where he sat next to Tora, Yuuri looked up at the clock, worrying at the late hour.

 _Where could Victor be? He was supposed to be back for dinner, but he texted to say his meeting ran long. It couldn't have gone this long, though. I don't know what to do. If he doesn't come back soon…_

"There, I'm done, Yuuri-san," Tora sighed, handing him a set of finished papers, "That's _three_ whole lessons today, so Daddy can't complain at me now."

"Your Russian is better than mine already," Yuuri said, shaking his head.

"It's just easier to learn new languages when you're younger," Tora said, "One of my teachers at school once told me that."

"Well, you've proven that to be true. I think soon you'll be teaching me Russian," Yuuri chuckled, "But, it's getting late. You should probably get some rest."

"I don't know why," Tora laughed, "I'm not the one competing tomorrow. You're the one who should be sleeping."

She gave him a closer look, again striking Yuuri with how like Victor she could be sometimes.

"You're worried because Daddy's not back yet," she said in an anxious voice.

"No, Victor sometimes stays out late."

"He missed dinner with us, _and_ he isn't back to say goodnight for the second night in a row. What's he doing that's taking all of this time?"

 _I wonder if he's out drinking because he's so worried about the stalker. I'd have our bodyguard call his, but…_

He glanced at Tora again.

 _I don't want to worry her even more._

"I'm sure Victor is fine," he said, smiling reassuringly, "You know he's with his bodyguard, so it's fine. Go to bed now, Tora-chan. I will stay up and…""

He broke off as the door opened and Victor stumbled into the suite with his bodyguard carefully holding him steady.

"Daddy!" Tora cried, running to him and skidding to a stop in front of him, "Are you all right? Did something happen?"

Yuuri spotted his husband's red, puffy eyes and caught a powerful whiff of alcohol.

"Tora-chan," he said quietly, "Victor is fine. I will take care of him. Please go to bed now."

Tora frowned, studying Victor more closely, then she scowled.

"You're like those boys at the skating events!" she accused her unsteady father, "You've been drinking alcohol!"

"T-tora, go to bed," Victor said sternly.

"Why are you being so stupid?" Tora shouted, "Yuuri-san and I were _worried_ about you being hurt or something, and you were just out getting drunk!"

"Go to bed!" Victor snapped.

"You shouldn't be telling me what to do when you're doing dumb things yourself!" Tora yelled, stamping her foot, "You hippo-cryptical…"

"I think you mean hypocritical," Yuuri said, crossing his arms, "and she's right."

"Yuuri, don't you dare…" Victor began.

"One of us needs to be thinking rationally and making good decisions," Yuuri said angrily, "and the way you are right now, it isn't you. You promised not to let Tora-chan see you like this."

"She's supposed to be in bed, not up all hours," Victor argued, "She knows what bed time is."

"Yes!" Yuuri shouted, stunning his inebriated spouse into silence and making Tora's eyes widen, "She _knows_ that bedtime is a set time when her parents are there to tell her goodnight and happy dreams. It's not when you stumble in and she's still awake and worried sick that something bad happened to you!"

"Yuuri, I know you are trying to help. I didn't make the best decision, but…"

"But what?" Tora demanded, "You shouldn't tell either one of us what to do, especially not Yuuri-san while he's here and he hasn't been drinking, and you're late and you have!"

"Yuuri is not your parent!" Victor shouted, "I am!"

Victor stiffened as he realized what he had said and quickly tried to backpedal, but Yuuri's brown eyes were already filling with indignant tears and his hands clenched.

"I'm sorry, Yuuri," Victor apologized hastily, "I didn't mean that. You're my husband, and that makes you…"

"I _know_ ," Yuuri said in a shaking voice, "I've always understood that as much as I love you, I can never have a child with you, Victor. And that means that, unlike you, I will never have a child made of my own body, because there will never be anyone for me but you. Still, when Tora came to live with us, you told me that you wanted me to be a parent to her. You made her that part of our family that I could not give you. I may not have made Tora, but I love her because she's a part of you. I love you, so I can't help loving Tora like the child I can't have with you!"

"Yuuri-san!" Tora gasped, her eyes rounding as Yuuri turned and ran into the master suite, slamming the door shut behind him.

She turned and gave Victor an enraged look.

"Why did you say that to Yuuri-san?" she howled, "You made him cry, you stupid dummy! Now, he'll probably leave us and never come back!"

Tora's hands clenched and her body shook.

"I _hate_ you! I wish Mommy had never, ever told you that I'm alive!"

Tora turned as though to go to her room, but seeing that the guards were both on the other side of the room, trying to pretend not to listen, she darted past Victor and out the door of the suite.

"Tora!" Victor cried, turning to chase her.

His feet tripped over each other and he fell. One of the guards rushed to help him, while the other headed for the door.

"Maret, hurry and stop her!" Victor called out, taking the other guard's arm, "Don't let her out of the building!"

The master suite door opened and Yuuri stepped out, dressed in his street clothes and carrying a suitcase.

"What's going on?" he asked, wiping his damp eyes.

"Tora ran off," Victor explained, "We have to stop her! K-kate will probably…"

"Kate?" Yuuri repeated, frowning, "What? You mean Sage's brother? His female persona? Why would you say that?"

"There isn't time, Yuuri!" Victor pleaded, "I promise I will tell you everything once we find her, but…we have to go and find her. We have to find Tora!"

Yuuri's frown deepened.

"I'll help you find Tora-chan," he said in a low, wounded voice, "but then, I am going to stay somewhere else."

"Yuuri, we'll talk about everything later. Just, please, help me find our daughter!"

Yuuri nodded and started out the door. Victor started to follow, but Yuuri stopped and gave him a stern look.

"You're in no condition to be of any help," he said shortly, "Stay here with your bodyguard."

"You can't go out there alone!" Victor objected, "You're under threat too, Yuuri. I don't want you hurt."

"You should have thought about that before you started drinking like that…and keeping secrets from me that could get us killed!"

He turned and ran out the door.

"Go after him!" Victor yelled at the bodyguard.

The armed man made no move to leave.

"What are you…?" Victor complained, grabbing his arm, "Come on. I'm going too."

"You shouldn't do that," the guard scolded him, "He's right you're in no shape to be running around outside."

"Be quiet and help me!" Victor shouted.

Tora ran out of the hotel, looking back over her shoulder to make sure that she hadn't been followed. She hurried to the nearest crosswalk and took out her phone as she waited for the walk signal. Her trembling fingers dialed a phone number and she held the phone to her ear as she ran across the street and into a park.

"Hello?"

"N-nico!" Tora sobbed into the phone, "I need you to come and help me."

"What's wrong?" her friend's concerned voice asked, "Where are you?"

"I just left the hotel," Tora explained, "My father is drunk and he said something horrible to Yuuri-san. I yelled at him, and he's mad at me now, too! He'll probably not let me see you anymore while we're here. He's really mad, and he made Yuuri-san cry!"

"Tigre, try to stay calm," the older boy said, bracingly, "I will meet you. Do you think you can get to the park near the ice rink? I can be there in a few minutes. I'll meet you there."

"Okay."

"Do you have your bodyguard with you?"

"No, I left too fast and I don't want Daddy to catch up to me while he's drunk. Mommy said that drunk people are sometimes mean and they can't help it. I never saw Daddy drink alcohol like that, so I didn't know he could be this way."

"It's okay. I'm sure that everything will be all right. Tigre, maybe you should let your bodyguard catch up with you."

"N-no!" Tora exclaimed, "He'll take me back to Daddy. I don't want to go to him. I don't want to live with Daddy anymore! I want to come back here to stay!"

"Okay, okay, we'll talk about everything when we meet. I'm on the way."

"Okay!" Tora panted, "Be careful."

"You be careful," the youth warned her, "You're the one with someone trying to hurt you."

Tora switched off the phone and ran through the little park, angling away from several couples she saw walking there. She darted out of the other side of the park and ran back in the direction of the ice rink, looking around to make sure that no one was following her.

 _But in the dark, I can't tell if anyone's following or not._

"Are you lost, girl?" an old man called out as she ran by.

"No, thank you. I'm just late somewhere!" she called back as she ran on.

She reached the ice rink and paused, panting as she looked around and didn't see anyone.

 _Okay. Nico said he would be in the park._

She broke into a slower jog, heading around the rink and down a dark, quiet street. Partway to the park, she spotted a car coming up behind her, and she darted behind a bush until it passed. She continued on, down the street, then turned and jogged up the next one, slowing as she reached the ominously dark looking park.

 _I wish he'd said to meet at the rink. At least there were lights there. There are little lights along the trail, here, but it's really scary._

 _I'm cold._

 _I forgot to take my coat._

She followed the path into a thick set of trees, set on the bank of a river that ran through the park. She moved in silent steps, listening carefully as she approached the meeting place.

 _This is where Nico and I would meet to walk part of the way to the ice rink together. It should feel safe, but everything is scary because it's nighttime and I'm alone._

"Tora?" Nico's voice called softly.

Tora spun on her heel, tears coming into her eyes again.

"Nico, I…"

She broke off as her eyes found her friend's terrified ones that looked back at her. Nico stood a short distance away, held against the body of a masked and hooded person, who held a gun to the frightened boy's temple.

"Don't hurt him!" Tora sobbed, "He didn't do anything to anyone. Let him go!"

"Where is your bodyguard?" the person holding Nico asked in a stern voice that was muffled by a scarf that was wound around the person's throat.

Tora couldn't tell from the sound, whether the voice was male or female.

"I…I d-don't know," Tora stammered.

The person holding Nico tightened the arm holding the boy and Nico grabbed at the arm that was beginning to choke him.

"Stop it! I really don't know!" Tora sobbed.

"T-tora, run away!" Nico gasped, "Go on, Get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Tora insisted.

"I'll let him go," Nico's captor said calmly, "if you agree to come with me. The boy doesn't need to die if you do what I say."

"Okay," Tora said, her teeth chattering, "Please, let Nico go."

"Come here," Nico's captor ordered her, "I don't want to let go of him until I have you. Otherwise, you will probably try to run away together, and I'll have to shoot both of you."

"I won't run away," Tora promised, "Nico is my friend. I don't want him to get hurt. Just let him go, and I'll go with you."

"No, Tora!" Nico cried, "Just…please run away!"

"I would just shoot her in the back if she ran," the person holding Nico scolded him, "She's doing the right thing. This way, you get to live. If you do anything stupid, you will die."

"Wh-what are you going to do to Tora?" Nico asked as the girl began to walk towards them, "You are going to hurt her, aren't you?"

"Maybe. It depends on how cooperative her bastard father is."

"Did Victor do something to you?" Nico asked, "Is that why you're so angry you would kill someone innocent?"

"Be quiet, boy!" Nico's captor snapped, "Just shut up and do what you are told."

"I'll cooperate," Nico said solemnly, "but please promise me that you won't hurt Tora. She's never done anything to anyone."

"She was born," Nico's captor said in a low, furious voice, "That never should have happened."

"You're right," Tora said, making Nico's eyes widen and his captor's body tense in surprise, "Daddy was drunk and so was Mommy. They didn't mean to make me. I was a mistake."

Tora came to a stop in front of the two, her body shaking as she waited.

"Do you hate me because I'm a mistake?" Tora asked softly, her eyes starting to leak tears, "Did something bad happen because I was born?"

Nico made a little sound of distress as the gun that was pressed to his temple clicked ominously.

"Your mother is dead because of you and your bastard father," the boy's captor said, looking into Tora's scared eyes, "You both deserve to die a painful death."

"Who are you?" Tora managed in a whisper, "Are you going to tell me that before you…?"

Nico's captor shoved him suddenly, making him stumble forward into Tora, so that both fell to the ground near the edge of a sharp decline that ran down to the river's shore. Their assailant stepped forward, aiming the gun at the two as they scrambled to their feet, holding onto each other for support.

"I suppose it doesn't bother me to tell you, since you are going to die anyway. If you must know, I am…"

The person broke off as a dark figure suddenly appeared from behind one of the trees near the two children and crashed into them. The gun in their assailant's hand cracked as the three fell over the edge of the incline and they tumbled, out of control, down the incline. The gun cracked again, and a third time, then shouts sounded nearby as the three falling bodies crashed through the brush and landed roughly on the shore of the river.

Nico groaned, but forced himself to his feet, looking around for Tora.

"Tigre!" he hissed softly, holding his side and putting his fingertips to a scratch on his face to stop the bleeding.

"Over here!" Tora whisper-sobbed, "N-nico, he's…!"

Nico's face went white as he saw Tora kneeling at Yuuri Katsuki's side, holding her hands over a large wound in his shoulder with dark blood leaking though her fingers.

"Oh god…" Nico whispered, staring in horror as a dark form slid down the incline, heading in their direction, "Shh."

He moved to Tora's side, taking off his coat and laying it over Yuuri's collapsed form.

"We're in the brush," he breathed softly, "Be really quiet."

He barely held back a sound of surprise as Yuuri's pained eyes opened and fixed on them.

"I'll distract them," he told Nico, "Take Tora and while I'm d-distracting them, you get her to V-victor!"

"N-no!" Tora managed, her teeth chattering with mingled cold and terror, "Yuuri-san!"

"P-please, Nico-kun," Yuuri pleaded, "Take T-tora-chan and go. You can't help me, but you can save her! Go!"

"No!" Tora mouthed, struggling as Nico put an arm around her and pulled her into the trees, "Don't leave Yuuri-san!"

"Shh, then we'll just hide in the trees. C'mon."

Nico put a hand over her mouth in warning and the two ducked behind a large tree as the masked assailant, reached the bottom of the incline and walked slowly to the fallen skater's side. The person's eyes looked down into Yuuri's unexpectedly calm ones almost regretfully.

"I wasn't meaning for this to happen," the person said quietly, "My apologies, Yuuri Katsuki, but you made a poor decision in tying yourself to Victor Nikiforov. And now, you are going to die. But, with you, I will make it merciful."

The person took aim on Yuuri, who looked back with no fear left in his eyes.

"Victor is a good man," Yuuri said somberly, "He will find someone better to be Tora-chan's other parent."

His assailant's eyes darkened, and a warning click sounded. But a moment later, a gunshot sounded, and Yuuri's attacker gasped and dove aside, crashing down into the fast moving water of the river. Two dark figures hurried down the incline and slid to a stop beside the injured skater.

"Yuuri!" Victor cried, falling onto his knees and opening his injured husband's coat, "Sava, call for help!" Victor shouted, "And call Detective Daniels. This is exactly what she warned me about."

"V-victor," Yuuri whispered, meeting his spouse's frightened eyes, "they're okay. I told them to hide."

He raised his voice slightly.

"Tora-chan, Nico-kun, come out now."

The two broke from the trees and ran to join Victor at Yuuri's side.

"Tora, are you and Nico all right?" Victor asked quickly.

"F-fine," Tora assured him, "but Yuuri-san!"

"I'll b-be okay," Yuuri whispered, his voice shaking, "Go and stand with Sava."

Victor frowned.

"Where is Maret? Did you see him?"

"D-dead," Yuuri panted, "I f-found him near where th-that person was threatening Tora-chan and Nico-kun."

Victor pulled the scarf from around his neck and folded it, pressing it to the bleeding wound in his husband's chest.

"Yuuri, you're going to be okay. Just stay still. Help is coming."

His other hand found Yuuri's, and held it tightly as the sound of sirens rose up in the distance.

"I'm sorry," Victor continued, his eyes filling with guilt, "this is all my fault. I'm sorry, Yuuri! I'm really, really sorry."

"I know," Yuuri whispered more weakly, "It's okay. Just…take care of Tora-chan. Sh-she really needs you, Victor."

"She needs you too," Victor insisted, "Stop talking to me like you're leaving us."

"V-victor, it hurts really bad," Yuuri whispered, closing his eyes, "I think…"

"No," Victor shouted, pulling Yuuri's limp body to his chest, "Stop it! You are not going anywhere!"


	14. Out of the Ashes

**Chapter 14: Out of the Ashes**

A hospital nurse led Victor and Tora into a small waiting area where their bodyguard and Detective Daniels were already sitting quietly in chairs near Nico and his worried looking parents.

"There is a bathroom over there that you can use to clean up a little," she told Victor in a sympathetic tone.

"Thank you," Victor answered softly.

He turned his attention to his teary-eyed daughter.

"Come. We should wash up."

Tora followed him wordlessly into the bathroom, where Victor ran the water into the sink, then took Tora's bloodstained hands and carefully rinsed them. Tora stared dazedly down at the reddened water that leaked off of her hands and ran down the drain.

"Is Yuuri-san going to die too?" she asked, still staring at her hands, "Is he going to die like mommy died, trying to save me?"

Victor finished washing her hands and arms, then he turned his attention to his own.

"I don't know what's going to happen," he answered solemnly, "but I want you to understand something."

He took Tora's wet hands in his and looked down into her guilty and leaking eyes.

"Both your mother and Yuuri were right to want to protect you," he assured her, "You shouldn't feel bad about that. I hear from Nico that you protected him."

He gave her a little, proud smile.

"You offered to go with them, so that they would let your friend go. That was a very brave thing to do, Tora."

"I didn't know what else to do," Tora answered, "I didn't feel brave. I felt scared."

"Of course you did. Your life was in danger. Anyone would be scared in that situation, but not everyone could overcome that fear and put someone else first. You're only ten years old, but you acted like someone much older."

His smile wavered and his blue green eyes saddened.

"Sage and Yuuri were both faced with equally difficult situations," he went on, "They were in danger, and they were scared, but you see, being brave isn't about not feeling fear, it's about overcoming it. You didn't meet Yuuri until recently, so you may not know, but he used to be a very anxious person…a person with a lot of fears. He used to be so afraid of what would happen in a competition, that he would panic and make mistakes. He failed a lot. But Yuuri never stopped trying. He never stopped trying to overcome his fears, and he never stopped trying to win."

Tora managed a shaky smile.

"Yuuri-san told me that he learned not to be so afraid of everything, because of you. He said that with you beside him, he feels like everything is a lot less scary."

"Mmhmm," Victor agreed, "being close to me gives Yuuri confidence, and it helps him to conquer his fears. Just like, being close to your friend, Nico, gave you confidence that helped you make the difficult decision to protect him over yourself. You are very lucky to have a friend like that."

Tora gave him a confused look.

"But, I thought you didn't like Nico," she objected, "I thought that you were all worried he wanted me for his girlfriend."

Victor let out a piqued breath and met his daughter's eyes apologetically.

"Is it too late for me to tell you I'm sorry for that?" he asked, shaking his head, "I suppose I misjudged him."

"Boy, did you ever!" Tora laughed, rubbing her still damp eyes.

Victor frowned and looked at her expression more closely, then his breath caught slightly.

"Nico is attracted to boys?" he asked, "You don't have to tell me if it's meant to remain between you. It probably should have occurred to me. I miss things like that sometimes."

"He's not ashamed of it or anything," Tora explained, "He just hasn't figured out the best way to tell his parents."

"Ah, that is a big decision. I'm sure he'll figure it out. It's good he felt comfortable sharing that with you."

"He has a little crush on you," Tora teased her father, bringing a little flush to his cheeks, "You didn't notice him blushing and practically tripping over his tongue whenever he talks to you?"

"Victoria," Victor chided her, "that boy is half my age, and I am married. That is _completely_ inappropriate."

"He's not serious or anything," Tora giggled, "He just idolizes you because you're good looking and you're the best figure skater in the world. You can't be mad at him for that, right?"

"I suppose not," Victor answered in a flustered tone.

He thought for a moment, then curved a warm palm around his daughter's cheek.

"I especially can't be mad that the two of you took care of each other during a very scary time. You were both brave, but Tora, you were also wrong to run off like that."

"I know," Tora answered, clouding up again, "It's because of me that Maret died, and Yuuri-san…"

"That is not your fault," Victor insisted, "Someone is trying to hurt us. It's that person who is at fault for hurting Maret and Yuuri. Don't you even think different."

"Do you think Yuuri-san is going to die too?" Tora asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

Victor stiffened slightly, but managed a little shake of his head as he put an arm around Tora.

"No, I don't think he'll die. I have to believe that he won't, because more than anything, Yuuri wants to stay close to us, and if I know one thing about Yuuri, it is that he can be very, very stubborn."

Tora's lip trembled, then she dissolved into tears. Victor dropped onto one knee and hugged her tightly.

"I feel really, really bad that I was ever mean to him! I said awful things to him before!"

" _You_ said awful things?" Victor mused, brushing the tears away from her eyes, "What about me? I said something horrible to him right before all of this happened, and I haven't been able to tell him how sorry I am. Tora, no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. We're lucky to have someone like Yuuri in our lives, someone who accepts who we are without reservation, and forgives and loves us through everything. I think we're better people, just knowing someone like him."

Victor took a tissue from the tissue box on the sink and handed it to Tora, then he took her hand and led her back out to the waiting area. Nico looked up at them and he patted the seat beside him.

"Come and sit here," he urged her.

Victor started to say something, but he stiffened and went silent again as a tired looking doctor entered the room.

"Mr. Nikiforov?"

"Yes?" Victor said, moving to join him, "How did Yuuri's surgery go?"

"We were successful in removing the bullet from his shoulder, and he has stabilized," the doctor reported.

"Thank god," Victor sighed.

"He had lost a lot of blood, so we had to transfuse him, but that went well and he seems to be recovering as well as can be expected for what he's been through. He is still in serious condition and we are carefully monitoring him to make sure there are no problems in his limbs because of the loss of blood before, but there is every reason to believe he will make a full recovery, although, obviously, he won't be able to compete for awhile."

"He won't be happy about that," Victor speculated, "but we'll manage. Can we see him?"

The doctor nodded.

"He's still unconscious, but we are moving him to a private room. You can come and sit with him, but for right now, it should be just you. We are still getting him settled. Once we do that, he can have two visitors at a time. I also understand that you will need to post a guard outside his room. We're prepared to do that."

"Thank you," Victor said gratefully.

He motioned for Sava to join him, then he looked from Tora to Detective Daniels, who looked back at him silently for a moment before saying anything.

"Victor, you of all people know that I won't let anything happen to Victoria," she commented quietly, "I will watch over her until she can join you."

"But I want to go with you, Daddy!" Tora objected.

"You'll be able to come in soon," Victor said soothingly, "Just stay with Nico and Detective Daniels. We have to be mindful of the fact that the person who did this to Yuuri is still out there somewhere. We are safest if we stay together."

He glanced at Detective Daniels again.

"I…appreciate all you've done for us, Arden. Thank you for watching over her."

The detective nodded and moved to sit down next to Tora and Nico.

Victor and the bodyguard followed the doctor out of the waiting area, to an elevator that carried them up several stories and opened to a nurse's station.

"Nurse Allen, will you please show Mr. Nikiforov to his husband's room?" the doctor requested.

"Of course."

Victor and Sava followed the nurse to a room at the end of the hall, where Sava took up a protective position outside, and Victor entered the room. He moved slowly to Yuuri's side, hating the odd silence that hung in the room, except for the sounds of the monitors.

 _I never liked hospitals at all. Only painful things happen there._

He stood for a moment, pausing to take in the reality of the scene in front of him, the white walled room, the scent of sterilizing solution, stiff bedding and monitoring equipment all around. Yuuri's body laid on the bed, amongst all of it, connected to the monitors and looking pale and small, almost too fragile. Victor realized suddenly that his teeth had clenched and that he was holding his breath. He let the breath out and sat down in a chair beside his unconscious husband carefully lifting Yuuri's hand and bringing the warm palm to touch his face. He leaned forward, letting his head come to rest on his husband's gently rising and falling breast, keeping Yuuri's hand pressed to his cheek to feel his closeness.

 _It's strange._

 _I feel like crying, but I just can't. I've been drinking to keep myself calm, to numb the intense emotions, so that I could handle everything. But, I wasn't really handling anything. I was selfishly thinking of my own feelings and not doing enough to help Tora and Yuuri. I never should have listened to Arden when she said that I couldn't tell them. I know her secret is dangerous, but Yuuri and Tora have a right to know it, and we all need to be on the same page if we want to stay alive, and see our stalker caught. When Yuuri wakes up, I'm going to tell him. He needs to know._

He made his breaths silent and listened to the steady beating of Yuuri's heart.

"I know you're supposed to be resting right now," he whispered, "but I really want you to wake up. It's not enough to know that you're breathing and you have a heartbeat, I selfishly want to see you look at me, even if you're mad at me."

He let out a long breath and closed his eyes.

"I can deal with you being mad at me, but I don't know how to deal with you not being able to even look at me…talk to me. I know I messed up and I hurt you in the worst way. I only said what I did to you, because I was feeling inadequate. Ever since Tora came to us, you've been constantly putting her first, giving her a break, understanding her, helping her through things, helping her make sense of things. I've been trying, but I really am a terrible parent…and I think I just showed that, sometimes…I'm not a good husband either. I was keeping something from you, not because I didn't want to tell you, but because it isn't my secret to tell. And just knowing it puts us in more danger. I let the stress of that get to me, and I made the poor decision to numb everything with liquor, instead of turning to you. Then, I got angry with you for calling out my bad behavior and I made an even poorer decision to say what I did. I didn't mean it, not even for a second. I was drunk and in pain, and instead of looking for comfort with you, I lashed out at you."

Victor burrowed his face under his unconscious partner's chin, breathing in his warm scent and feeling a burning in his still closed eyes.

"I'm not like you," he confessed softly, "I've never had to really take care of myself, let alone anyone else. I was a skater brat, practically raised on the ice. I hardly saw my family, once I started training seriously, so when Tora arrived, I didn't know anything at all about how to do right by her. She's lucky that you were there, because god knows I've never been there for her. I may have had an excuse because Sage didn't tell me about her. But, who can blame her? Maybe in just that little bit of time we spent together, she figured out what a mess I am, and she didn't want Tora to end up like me. The truth is, most of what I know about being in a family is what I learned from your family while living in Hasetsu with you. You grew up so differently than I did. I mean, I had Yakov to encourage me and yell at me while he tried to make me listen to him, but you didn't leave your family for skating. They were a part of that little world you made for yourself and lived in until we met. I may have widened your world and brought out the prince in you, but you gave me far more. You're the only reason I haven't fallen completely on my face, trying to parent Tora. I was wrong to say what I did, and I will never say anything like that to you again. As God is my witness, I will find a way to be the husband and father that you and Tora deserve."

Victor startled as Tora's voice sounded behind him.

"I hope so," she sighed, "because you haven't been doing a very good job."

Victor frowned, but kept his head resting on Yuuri's chest as Tora entered the room and sat down beside him.

"Young lady, hasn't anyone ever told you that it's not good manners to listen in on other people's groveling? How did you get in here, anyway? I thought it would be awhile."

"Detective Daniels convinced the nurse to let us in."

Victor sat up and met the lady detective's eyes gratefully.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem," Arden assured him, "Nico's parents took him home. I've made sure that someone is watching over them, since he was threatened in this attack. But truthfully, I think that your stalker will back off. There were indications at the scene that at least one of the shots Sava fired, made contact. I don't know how bad the wound is, but it should warn the perpetrator off for now."

Victor gave a shaky sigh and nodded.

"I just wish that this wasn't at Yuuri's expense. He's going to be very upset when he learns that he's out of the Grand Prix Series."

"The nurse said that he should recover enough for the Japanese Nationals," Tora offered, "And I know he's going to make it into the Grand Prix Series again next year."

"I'm sure he will," Victor agreed, laying his head on his husband's chest again, and bringing Yuuri's hand to rest on his cheek.

"If you two will excuse me, I have to get back to work," Arden said, heading back out the door, "I have agents watching the hotel when you decide to go back. Just…don't wander off, all right?"

Tora colored.

"We won't," Victor promised, "I don't want to leave until Yuuri wakes up."

"I-I'm awake," Yuuri mumbled, moving the fingers that rested on Victor's face and working them into the silvery strands of his hair, "Are w-we late?"

His lips frowned and his eyes cracked open and squinted up at the ceiling.

"Where were we going again, Victor?" he asked in a confused tone.

"You were shot while protecting Tora and Nico," Victor explained, holding Yuuri's hand against his face, "You just got out of surgery a little while ago. You're in the hospital, resting now."

"I don't remember that," Yuuri said, trying to sit up.

"Hey, stop!" Tora objected, "I don't think you're supposed to get up yet."

"Lie down," Victor said sternly, gently pushing him back down, "I said you were supposed to rest."

"S-sorry," Yuuri managed weakly, "But, if I'm supposed to rest, then, why did you want me to wake up, Victor?"

Inexplicably, Victor's usually considerable defenses crumbled and his eyes filled with tears. He deflated, dropping back onto Yuuri's unhurt shoulder, burying his face under his husband's chin.

"Because I'm so selfish that I couldn't wait to have you look at me, so I would know you're going to be all right."

"Stupid Victor," Yuuri sighed sleepily, "I'll be fine."

He closed his eyes again and petted Victor's hair gently.

"What time do we have to leave for the competition?" he asked dazedly.

Victor and Tora exchanged amused glances.

"It'll be awhile," Victor answered, "Go back to sleep now."


	15. A Little Dose of Reality

**Chapter 15: A Little Dose of Reality**

Victor felt Yuuri move, and his lifted his head from his husband's shoulder, watching through wary eyes as Yuuri's brown eyes cracked open and struggled to focus.

"T-tora-chan?" he whimpered uncertainly.

Victor slipped a hand into his and squeezed it gently.

"Tora and Nico are both fine," he assured his distressed husband, "You kept their attacker from hurting them."

"Where is Tora-chan right now?" Yuuri asked, looking up at Victor.

Victor bit his lip anxiously.

"She is at the hotel, probably sleeping. That was what her bodyguard said she was doing when I called to check in an hour ago. It's very late. You should try to rest."

Yuuri tried to sit up, then winced and groaned.

"Move slowly," Victor said, leaning forward to gently raise the head of the bed, then arranging the pillows more comfortably, "Your shoulder had to be immobilized after the surgery, but you're going to make a full recovery."

Yuuri glanced at the date listed on the whiteboard where his doctor and nurse's names were recorded.

"Just not in time to compete in Grand Prix Series, right?" he asked in a low, shaky voice.

"No," Victor affirmed, lowering his gaze, "not in time for that. But, they said that you should be able to compete in the Japanese Nationals, as well as the other competitions after the Grand Prix Finals."

Yuuri didn't answer right away, but his expression at the news sent a chill through his husband's body as Victor waited silently for his reaction.

"I am…s-sorry, Yuuri," Victor offered penitently.

Yuuri's already devastated expression darkened further.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" he asked, his jaw clenching.

"What do you want me to say?" Victor asked in a voice barely above a whisper, "That I was stupid to go and get drunk, then to say something I didn't mean at all? Because I was. I was stupid and weak. I didn't confide in you, and I didn't turn to you when the stress of the situation became overwhelming."

"I still don't know what was going on that you wouldn't tell me," Yuuri said in a wounded tone, "Are you going to tell me now?"

Victor nodded.

"Arden…Detective Daniels told me something," Victor explained, "It is something that we can't speak of, except when in a protected place. This room is protected right now, so I can tell you."

"Tell me what? What's going on, Victor?" Yuuri prompted him, the anger in his voice growing, "What couldn't you tell me that ended up blowing up in our faces anyway, and just ended my chance to compete in the Grand Prix Series?"

Guilt flooded Victor's face, and he found himself unable to answer as his throat tightened painfully. He took a breath to steady himself before answering.

"You recall that Sage comes from a powerful family in New York?"

"Yeah."

"She has a sister and a brother."

"I know that too. What about them?" Yuuri asked, frowning.

"Detective Daniels gave me…some information about them. It's something that no one can know. The truth is, Yuuri, that Detective Daniels doesn't really exist."

Yuuri frowned.

"What? What do you mean, she doesn't exist?"

"I mean that Detective Daniels is really Antonia Maxfield, Sage's sister. She is living in disguise."

"What?" Yuuri gasped, staring.

"I found out from Antonia that she and Sage were really very close before all of this happened. Antonia loved her sister, and she was devastated when her father disowned Sage. She was so angry and upset, she didn't know what to do. The truth is that there wasn't much she _could_ do. Her father is the head of a crime family that deals drugs. Her brother was set to inherit his father's place when he died, and it seems that he did. But, he knew that he needed to prove himself, so he set in his sights taking vengeance for the death of his sister as a sort or proving. Despite full knowledge that it was his own father who set Sage and Tora up to die, he put the blame on me. He's been using his ability with disguises to pose as a woman, so that he can stalk us…at least, that is what Antonia is trying to prove."

"I remember her telling us about him also having the identity, Kate. But, how did Antonia become Detective Daniels?" Yuuri asked.

"Antonia confessed to me that she kept in touch secretly with Sage, to make sure that she was all right. When Sage died, Antonia was beside herself. She was devastated at losing her sister, and she wanted to be the one to personally bring down her father's crime ring, so that she will feel as though her sister is avenged. She had to move carefully, and she has had to keep this all a secret."

Yuuri scowled.

"Obviously, she told you," he said sullenly.

"Yes," Victor agreed, "She felt that because I was the one who impregnated her sister, it was only fair that I should help her out, so when we came here, she told me about her identity. She said she created the false identity of Arden Daniels and became a detective, while at the same time, making Antonia Maxfield _disappear_ from sight. She made contact with me in Russia, and eventually, she told me her true identity. She swore me to secrecy, since her family is a crime family, and if word got back to them that she's working with police and with me to bring them down, it could be deadly for all of us. I wanted to tell you, but she insisted that I keep that to myself."

"That's why you were drinking so much," Yuuri said in a disgusted tone.

"I know it was wrong," Victor said apologetically, "but Detective Daniels is getting close to locating her brother and setting up the family business for a bust. She was against us coming to the USA, because there was the potential for trouble, but it couldn't be helped."

Yuuri gave him a disapproving look.

"It seems like we were doing fine here until you got stressed out and started to drink. So, what went on between Detective Daniels and you that had you so stressed out?"

Victor sighed.

"She confirmed, first that her brother is our stalker, then that he is targeting me to cement his place at the head of the crime family, which means that we also have to worry about those who support his leadership. Yuuri, this is a lot bigger than just someone being angry that Sage and I were irresponsible and made a child together unexpectedly. Sage's father was a dangerous man, and her brother is vicious and cunning. He was just waiting for one of us to make a wrong step."

"And you played right into his hands."

"Yes, I did." Victor whispered, barely audibly, "And because I did so, Maret is dead and you paid a terrible price. We are only lucky that he didn't kill you too. We are still in a lot of danger. Detective Daniels feels that it would be best for us to return to Russia immediately, as soon as you are well enough to travel. It should be in a few days."

Yuuri took in a long breath and released it slowly, his eyes looking down to where Victor's hand held his.

"I think that, since I'm not competing in the Grand Prix Series, I may want to return to Japan…to stay with my family for awhile," he said finally.

Victor's eyes filled instantly with tears.

"Yuuri, do you mean that you are leaving me?" he asked softly, "Not that I don't understand why you would, but…"

"I didn't say I was leaving you," Yuuri answered in a shaky voice, "I just…need to think about all of this."

"I know you do," Victor said reassuringly, "I understand. And if you want me to not to sleep with you, or to go and stay with Yakov for awhile…just don't leave! I'm not even asking that for myself. I'm thinking of Tora. She saw you get shot, trying to protect Nico and her, and it was like losing her mother all over again. She has been through too much, Yuuri, and she needs both of us."

"That's not what you said before."

"No, it's not," Victor agreed, "I made a terrible decision to drink instead of confiding in you, instead of sharing my fears with you, and we have all paid for that. All of us."

"You're asking me to just forget what you said to me? To pretend it didn't happen?" Yuuri asked in a wounded voice, rubbing his hand over his face.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all," Victor insisted, "I'm telling you that if you need to be angry with me, just be angry with me. Don't do something that will make things worse for our daughter."

"How can you even dare to look me in the eyes and say that?" Yuuri sobbed, "What? Because it works in your favor now, suddenly it's okay for me to act like Tora's mine too? You _know_ I don't have any legal rights when it comes to her. Our marriage isn't even legal where we live, and if push came to shove, you know that you could even lose custody of her because we're a gay couple, and the laws in Russia don't allow gay parents to raise a child together!"

"I don't care what anyone says!" Victor hissed, carefully keeping his voice lowered, "Yuuri, ever since that child appeared on our doorstep, you have been there for her. You have loved Tora and you have done anything and everything to help me care for her. It doesn't matter what anyone says…"

"It does, and you know it!" Yuuri cried, gripping the bedding with the hand on his uninjured side, "Victor, Have you thought about this at all? What if this guy hurts you? What if he kills you? What do you think is going to happen to Tora then? The Russian government isn't going to give custody of her to your gay lover! It's not going to happen, and you know it!"

"So, you think that the answer to that is for you to leave us and go back to Japan? Is that what you think? Yuuri, I know you don't think that's the right thing to do. I don't either, and I have plans in place so that if anything ever happens to me, Tora will be placed with Yakov, so that he in turn can make sure that she stays with you. I have thought of this, and I am doing all I can do to make sure that you and Tora will be able to stay together, no matter what happens or doesn't happen! The thing is, all of that falls apart if you let this tear us apart!"

"Me?" Yuuri asked scathingly, "I'm not the one keeping secrets and being irresponsible."

"I am sorry for that. I told you. I didn't mean what I said. I was stupid and got drunk and said something I am going to regret until the day I die! But I can't think about that. Tora has been traumatized, and I have to think about what is best for her. Yuuri, I know I can't do this without you. I am trying as hard as I can, but I am not as good at this as you are. Half the time, I don't know _what_ I'm doing. I am making a ton of mistakes, but please believe me when I tell you, I am not ever going to say something like that to you again. I swear it. Just…give me a chance to do things better. I give you my word that I will not drink any alcohol. I will leave you alone if that's what you want. Just please don't take away the one person who has really been there for Tora. That little girl has been through absolute hell, and I am not the parent she needs right now. I'm doing my best, but without you, that's never going to be enough! I need you, Yuuri. Tora needs you."

"Augh! Fine!" Yuuri snapped, gritting his teeth and staring angrily down where his hand clenched the bedding, "Just get out of my room and let me get some sleep. I'll go back to Russia with you, but I want you to leave me alone! You're not to drink a drop of alcohol, or I _will_ leave!"

"Fine."

"And you don't tell Tora anything about what is or isn't happening between you and me. She's got enough to deal with, without worrying that her par…without worrying that the only sane person in the house besides her will leave!"

"I won't say a word in front of her," Victor promised, "and if you want, I'll sleep on the floor with Maccachin."

"You don't have to do that," Yuuri said in a disgusted tone.

"Really?" Victor said, looking at him hopefully.

"You can wait until Tora goes to sleep, then sleep on the couch."

"Ow, that's not nice, Yuuri," Victor complained.

"Yeah? Well, it's more than you deserve, and I'm only doing it for Tora! I still haven't forgiven you for keeping secrets, being a complete jerk, upsetting Tora and putting us in a situation where I got shot and now can't compete for the next several months! And using Tora to convince me to stay with you…"

"I know," Victor said unrepentantly, "I'm lower than a dog. I admit it. I don't deserve you. But, I do love you, Yuuri, and I promise that since you are giving me a chance, I will prove to you that I deserve you."

Yuuri scowled and hurled a pillow at his surprised partner.

"Get out of my room! I don't want to talk to you anymore," he said sullenly, "You look half dead from lack of sleep and you need a goddamned shower."

Victor gave his angry husband a quizzical looked and sniffed under an arm.

"I don't smell bad."

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Yuuri shouted.

"Okay, okay," Victor chuckled, raising his hands and backing away to the door, "But, can I come back and see you later with Tora?"

"URGH! GET OUT, WILL YOU?"

"Going," Victor giggled, hastily exiting the room.

He stood outside, exchanging glances with an amused looking Sava.

"He's really mad at you," Sava said, shaking his head, "I don't know if he'll forgive you. I don't think I would."

"I really don't deserve to be forgiven," Victor acknowledged, peeking back into the room and watching as Yuuri scowled and turned on the television, "but I know Yuuri. He loves Tora, and there is nothing he won't do for her…even forgive me."

Sava sighed and shook his head.

"You're even worse than he said."

"I'm horrible," Victor affirmed, "But, horrible or not, I am the love of Yuuri's life and he's the love of mine. No matter how bad we screw up, we'll find a way back to each other."

"Maybe you'd better leave before I'm as mad at you as he is," the bodyguard said, only half-jokingly.

"I'm going," Victor said, touching a fingertip to his chin thoughtfully, "I have a lot to do if I'm going to get Yuuri to forgive me."

Sava glanced into the room at Victor's angry spouse and shook his head.

"Good luck with that."

"I don't need luck," Victor said in a determined voice, "I'm Victor Nikiforov. Yuuri can't resist me, no matter how mad he is."

"You know, I'm not deaf," Yuuri shouted, "I can hear you out there, Victor! Go away!"

"Yeah," Sava snorted, "Like I said, good luck with that."

"Eh, shut up and do your job," Victor said shortly, "I've got work to do."


	16. I Fell in Love With You

**Chapter 16: I Fell in Love With You**

Victor skated smoothly across the ice, executing a smooth turn, then moving into a graceful double axel as Tora shadowed him. The two changed direction, then jumped into side-by-side flying sit-spins as Yuuri sat a short distance away, reading the newspaper and stealing little glances at the two. Tora noticed him looking and moved closer to Victor as the two continued skating together.

"Daddy, is Yuuri-san talking to you yet?" she asked.

Victor shot her a disapproving look and guided her into a triple toe loop, then into another spin.

"Tora, I told you, what goes on between Yuuri and me is not anything you have to worry about. All you need to know is that Yuuri and I love each other and we are staying together. That needs to be enough, okay?"

"But it's been almost a week, and I haven't seen you do more than say _excuse me_ or _thanks_. He's still mad at you, isn't he? Are you even trying to make him not mad?"

Victor let out a flustered breath.

"Who can even make Yuuri do anything he doesn't want to? He's stubborn. You know that. And besides, I did something wrong, so he's not wrong to be mad at me for it."

"But it's not good for him to just stay mad at you," Tora complained as they moved in a graceful zigzag pattern together, then joined hands and moved into a dance position.

"You and I need to give Yuuri some time," Victor advised her, "He's still recovering from his injury, and he had to sit out the Skate America competition. That's frustrating, and it wouldn't have happened if I had done the right thing."

"Yeah, but when I make a mistake, he forgives me," Tora argued.

"Well, your mistakes don't usually get people shot," Victor sighed.

"I got Yuuri-san put in jail and beat up," Tora said skeptically, "and he still forgave me."

"Not instantly, he didn't," Victor said, frowning, "It took time for him to trust you again. It's going to take time before Yuuri feels like he can forgive me. I just think it's best to give him that time."

"Huh, you must really like sleeping on the couch," Tora said, smirking.

"Hey, you're not supposed to know about that," Victor said sternly, "You keep your nose out of our business, do you understand me?"

Tora rolled her eyes.

"Don't do that. Don't start that with me, young lady," Victor scolded her, "There is absolutely no eye rolling allowed until you are at least a teen."

"That's only three more years," Tora laughed.

"God, don't tell me that. You make me feel so old!" Victor groaned.

Tora spotted someone approaching Yuuri and instantly brightened as she realized who it was.

"Nico!" she called out, abandoning her skating and racing to the edge of the ice.

"Tigre," the youth greeted her, smiling and hugging her.

He looked up at Victor more warily.

"Good morning, Mr. Nikiforov."

"Good morning, Nico," Victor greeted him.

He stole a glance at Yuuri, then looked back at the youth.

"I was hoping you would stop by this morning," he went on.

"Really?" Nico mused, blinking and starting to blush, "Why?"

"Well," Victor said, frowning thoughtfully, "you did say that you want to compete in pairs skating with Tora when she is old enough in a few years."

"Y-yes," Nico said, giving him a curious look, "I know you don't think…"

"What I think is really pretty irrelevant, when it comes to whether or not you and Tora decide to become skating partners, "If you have a strong conviction about wanting to do that, you need to follow it up, if you want it to happen," Victor said sternly.

"Um, Daddy…" Tora said, flushing.

"You are certainly a talented skater," Victor went on, ignoring her nervous interjection, "So is Victoria, however, not ever pair is a good match when it comes to competition. One of the keys is understanding and being able to anticipate each other. You have to know each other so well that you can foresee your partner's movements. In that sense, you have to be able to put yourself in Tora's place. So, I was thinking that if you show me you can do that, I might be willing to really consider choreographing for the two of you for a few exhibitions."

"What?" Nico squawked, giving Victor a stunned look, "You're going to…?"

"I don't know," Victor said provokingly, "If you want to skate with my daughter, why don't you show me why I should consider letting that happen?"

"Daddy!" Tora objected.

"Victor," Yuuri said sharply, glaring at his spouse.

Victor ignored the two and extended a hand.

"It's up to you, of course. The offer is there if you want to take it."

The youth's jaw dropped and he paled, but he somehow managed to get his shaky hands to remove the blade covers on his skates. He stepped onto the ice and past Tora, who glared at Victor in a way that clearly said _Be nice, or else!_

Victor nodded approvingly.

"How familiar are you with Victoria's part of your ice dance?" Victor asked.

"Um, well, I know what she does when, but…"

"But you've never taken on that role, yourself, right?"

"Uh, right."

"You're going to do that now," Victor announced.

"Wh-what?" Nico asked, glancing at Tora, "Y-you mean, she'll…?"

"No, not with Tora," Victor corrected him, "You will perform her part with me."

"Huh?" Nico managed, "You know our routine after just seeing it that once?"

Victor gave him a little smirk.

"I'm a quick study," he lied.

 _The spare time I have because I'm not spending it with Yuuri gave me time to pursue a few other things…like the video of those two skating._

"What was the music again?" Victor asked, "Tora, will you put it on?"

"It's _Me Enamorè de ti_ ," Nico answered, his heart pounding as he nervously took Tora's position with his back to Victor.

Victor moved closer, sliding an arm about the teen's waist and taking his raised hand.

"I Fell in Love With You," Nico translated, swallowing nervously.

"Relax," Victor said more quietly, "and remember that this is a love song. That emotion needs to come through in every move."

"Uh-huh," Nico acknowledged breathlessly.

 _I'm ice dancing with Victor Nikiforov?_

 _Fuck, I don't want to mess up!_

"You are not leading this time, so just relax and let me guide you. Here, lay your arm over mine, where I'm holding you around the waist. When you do this, you look more engaged."

"Okay."

 _Damn it! I'm sweating like a pig, and I'm sure my hand is shaking. God, he's going to think I'm pathetic!_

 _I'm going to forget how to skate!_

"Before we start, I want you to think of what person…or what kind of person you would skate this piece with," Victor said into his ear, sending a flush roaring across the youth's face.

"Okay," Nico said shakily.

 _Please, god, don't let me look stupid in front of Victor Nikiforov._

 _I have to nail this!_

"I want you to imagine the person who would make you feel like you're flying, who lifts you up. Imagine that being the person here, dancing with you. Put that emotion into every move. I want to feel the love come through in every move. Do you understand, Nico?"

"Y-yeah, okay."

"Tora, start the music."

Victor felt a little flicker of satisfaction, noting that Yuuri couldn't seem to stop stealing looks at them.

 _Yuuri loves to watch me skate_ , Victor mused inwardly, _but he's actually jealous when I skate with someone else. I wonder how he'll react._

He waited as the music started to play, then as the vocals began, he pushed off, carrying Nico along with him. The two turned together and assumed a standard dance position as they turned and swept across the ice.

 _I've watched Victor's skating for years_ , Nico thought as he moved out and spun, then he was drawn back into Victor's firm embrace, _I never, not in a million years, thought that I would ever skate with him like this._

 _I wonder why he's doing this._

 _I don't think he trusts me, and I know he doesn't like me, so why?_

 _Why is he having me skate with him? Does he want to embarrass me? But, he doesn't look angry or mistrusting. His eyes…oh my god! I shouldn't be looking at him like he's the most beautiful person that ever walked the earth. He is, but he's married. Damn! Why do I have to be so pathetic? I've been training a long time. I could be doing better. I just…never felt…inspired like this. We're coming to the first lift…_

 _I've lifted Tora tons of times, but I've never been lifted._

He felt Victor's hands take hold, then the strength in the arms that lifted him as he sucked in a breath and carefully balanced himself, over Victor's head.

 _It is like flying!_

 _For just right now, it feels like all of my nerves, all of my worries just melted away. This is amazing!_

 _I wish it wouldn't end._

He could have cried as he was set back down, but he smiled as Victor's arm wrapped around him again, and the two executed a pretty step sequence, before Victor turned and lowered him into a long death spiral. Nico stole another glance at the elder skater, admiring Victor's perfect form and position, the grace and beauty of every move. And he could read on Tora and Yuuri's faces when he looked in their direction that he must be doing well.

 _They look like they can't tear their eyes away. But who can blame them, right? Victor is an amazing skater who could make any partner look good. That makes me wonder. He doesn't like me. He doesn't trust me. Why is Victor suddenly building me up like this? He's making me think I actually have a chance of convincing him to let me pair with Tora to skate when we're older. Is it that he's changed his mind about me?_

 _Ah, the second lift!_

As Victor lifted him, Nico curled his slim body around the elder skater's shoulders, then dropped into Victor's arms, straightening as his partner swung him in a circle, then let him down. He landed gracefully, turning out, then moving into a side-by-side pirouette, before returning to a dance position and finishing with a stunning mix of sharp footwork, turns and a final side-by side spin before he returned to Victor's firm embrace to be dipped into their ending stance.

The music ended, and for a moment, Nico just hung on Victor's bracing arm, panting with exertion and looking for some sign of what the elder skater might be thinking. Then, Victor lifted him and let go, giving him a short, approving nod.

"You did well," he complimented the youth.

"He did _well_?" Tora scoffed, "Nico, you were _amazing_!"

She looked back at Yuuri, grinning.

"Wasn't he amazing, Yuuri-san?"

"Oh," Yuuri said, giving her a flustered look, "yes, he did great."

"It wasn't so much me," the youth said, blushing, "Victor makes any partner look better."

Tora skated out to the two and hugged her best friend tightly.

"I can't believe how well you did even on my part," she gushed, "It's so fun skating with my dad, isn't it?"

"It was…really fun," Nico said appreciatively, " _Gracias_ , Mr. Nikiforov. It was an honor."

"You are welcome."

Victor touched a finger to his chin thoughtfully, earning curious looks from the two teens.

"Nico," he inquired, "what do you think of snow?"

"Eh, snow?"

"Yes," Victor said, nodding, "Do you like snow? Lots and lots of snow?"

"Uh, s-sure," the youth answered, giving Tora a stymied look.

"The reason I ask is that, well, have you heard of the Russian Junior skater, Tolenka Varushkin?"

"Tolenka Varushkin?" Nico repeated, his eyes widening, "Well, _yeah_ , he's only the world's number one junior skater, now that Yuri Plisetsky moved to the senior division."

"Yurio is lucky that he moved up when he did," Victor related, "because if he hadn't, this boy would be challenging him this year. He is a very talented skater, and I just happened to know that there is room for him to have another rinkmate."

"Huh? What? You mean, me?" the youth asked, staring, "Train with Tolenka Varushkin? You're kidding me, right? You're not really serious…"

Victor shrugged.

"There are a couple of years before Tora will be able to compete in pairs, and during that time, you should be doing all you can to prepare for that. I think that training alongside Tolenka would give you worlds of good experience."

"It would be incredible!" Nico said breathlessly.

He paused, then deflated slightly.

"But…I don't think my parents would go for it. I mean, the expense of relocating and getting a new coach there, finding somewhere to live…"

"You don't need to worry about any of that," Victor said dismissively, "You are welcome to live with Yuuri, Tora and me, and I will train you, myself…"

Nico started to object, but Victor held up a hand to stop him.

"I will only take what your current coach is charging you."

"But…but why?" Nico asked in a stunned tone, "Why would you do that?"

"Maybe," Victor said solemnly, "it's because a few days ago, when you were in danger, and you could have only been concerned with saving yourself, you instead thought of Tora. You accepted that you could be killed, and you told her to run. That was a very brave thing to do. As Tora's father, I am indebted to you. So, I will see that you have the best training possible for the upcoming season."

"That's…" Nico stammered, "I don't know how to…wow…ah…th-thanks, Mr. Nikiforov!"

"Thank you for being a true friend to my daughter," Victor said warmly, "You let me know before we leave if you want to come to Russia to train, and I will see that you are accommodated."

"Wow! Thanks again, really!" Nico managed, tears flooding the corners of his eyes, "I can't even tell you what this means to me!"

"It's fine," Victor assured him, "Now, you and Tora should practice together. Have fun."

Victor stepped off the ice and slipped the blade covers back onto his skates, then he leaned against the ice rink wall, watching as Tora and Nico skated together. He smirked a little at feeling Yuuri's piqued gaze, then his husband's low, annoyed voice sounded.

"Do you really think it's all right, asking someone to live with us without talking to me?" Yuuri asked, "Or is this just another time when my vote doesn't count?"

"Oh," Victor said in a surprised tone as he turned to face his angry partner, "sorry, Yuuri. I would, of course, have talked to you about it, but you aren't speaking to me. How could I ask what you think?"

"Urgh! If you're trying to make me less angry with you, you're doing a terrible job!" Yuuri snapped.

"That had nothing to do with you," Victor said blithely, "and anyway, don't you like the boy? You were scolding me for not being nice to him before."

" _Being nice_ doesn't mean asking him to move in with us!" Yuuri complained, "I just meant that you shouldn't be so down on him. He and Tora are friends."

"Exactly," Victor said, giving him a charming smile, "and now, Tora will have her best friend training and living with her. And Nico will be training with Tolenka, whom I happen to know…is between boyfriends right now, and would just love to meet someone new and interesting."

"Victor! That's not being nice either. Manipulating people is not being nice!"

"Who's manipulating?" Victor objected, "It's not like I even suggested anything. I just put together two people who might like to meet, that's all."

"You know what? You're _impossible_!" Yuuri snapped heatedly.

"Yes," Victor agreed, turning and pulling his struggling lover into his arms, then trying to kiss him as he turned his head away, "I'm impossible…for you to stay mad at, _da_?"

"No, you're just impossible!" Yuuri shouted, pulling free of him and stomping away.

"Wow!" Victor said appreciatively, "I think I made an impression."


	17. The Animals We Are

**Chapter 17: The Animals We Are**

Yuuri laid alone in the master bedroom of the hotel suite, curled up on his left side and propped on pillows to avoid rolling onto his still aching shoulder. He managed several times to drop off to sleep, but first it was a bad dream that brought him awake in a sweat, then it was pangs of loneliness, then a little bit of guilt at still making his husband sleep on the couch, and finally twinges of pain as his pain medication wore off. Late into the night, he gave an aggravated sigh of surrender and sat up, moving the pillows so he could read and listen to some soft music.

 _Maybe I should just let him back in. We've barely spoken since I kicked him out of my hospital room. It didn't keep him from coming back…at least, until I told the hospital staff not to let him in. Then, he just sent enough flowers and get well cards that there was barely any room to move. He didn't even flinch when I donated every flower to a charity before leaving the hospital. In fact, I overheard him telling Tora that he thought it was a kind gesture. I came back and this room was filled with more flowers, stuffed toys and love notes. He didn't even look surprised when I shut the bedroom door in his face._

 _Ugh! What good does it do to be mad at him and try to push him away if he just won't go? And doesn't he get that it's hard for me to close the door between us? It feels heavier each time I do it. But as much as I push him away, he just keeps relentlessly finding other ways to remind me he's still right there._

 _I could have killed him for that stunt he pulled at the ice rink today…ice dancing with his daughter's best friend and offering to let him move in with us without asking me what I thought. Not that I would have objected. Eh, at least not before that flirty ice dance. What a jerk! He knows that although I have no jealousy over his past relationships at all, I do feel jealous, seeing him skate with other people. Not Tora, of course, but this boy he was ice dancing with is a vulnerable teen who is a closeted gay and is on the fence about how to come out to his parents and everyone. God, I just hope he doesn't do something stupid that forces Nico out when he's not ready. And the most frustrating thing is that helping Nico would totally be the right thing to do if Victor did it in the right way, but he just misses that entirely…or he ignores it. Which is it? Is he just socially inept? Or is Victor really that manipulative? He's certainly not intentionally cruel, but he sometimes does really shitty things._

 _Damn it, I can't figure him out._

 _And I can't figure out why I want so badly to forgive him and just let him back in. He'd be fussing over me so much while I'm hurt, spoiling me to death. He's so affectionate and good at comforting me. And when he does that, I can feel the real emotion beneath it. It's not like things are right now, where I'm so unsure where his actions are coming from. When Victor cares for me, he wears his heart on his sleeve and he's easy to understand. As frustrating, manipulative and outright cruel he can't sort of inadvertently be, Victor is a very kind person at heart. He is as surprised as I am, when he does something manipulative or hurtful like that. Maybe he is just stupid about emotional things. And if he really can't control those impulses, wouldn't the better thing to do be to convince him to get some counseling to learn how? Lying here alone sure isn't doing any good._

 _Victor doesn't even look upset. He just smiles and continues to tell me how much he loves me and he hopes I'll forgive him soon. At least once a day, he grabs me and kisses me on the head or cheek, while I struggle in his arms, and he tells me he misses me. But, does he really? If Victor misses me, if my absence really hurts him, how can Victor still be so unflappable?_

 _Is his smiling real…or is Victor just hiding how much this is all weighing on him?_

 _I hope he's okay._

Yuuri sighed and reached for the bottle of pain pills.

 _I'm glad that they make me sleepy. Maybe I'll actually be able to stay asleep this time._

He swallowed two of the pills with a glass of water, then adjusted the pillows, so he could lie down again.

 _How pathetic is it that I have to lie here imagining Victor's arms being around me, his goodnight kiss on the back of my neck or shoulder? The way he hugs me like a stuffed toy while we're sleeping?_

He was relieved when he felt the medicine take effect and he dropped off to sleep. But it had only been an hour or so, when a tapping sounded on the master bedroom door, waking him again.

 _That isn't how Victor knocks._

"Y-yuuri-san?" Tora's small voice called through the door.

"Come in," he answered, sitting up and turning towards the girl as she opened the door and peeked into the room.

He saw instantly that she was on the verge of crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No," she mouthed, barely able to make her voice sound, "Yuuri-san, I think there's something wrong with Daddy."

 _Okay, either Victor's lost his mind and gone way too far to get me to forgive him, or…something's really wrong._

"Can you tell me what happened? Why do you think he's not okay?"

"W-well, I know I'm not supposed to know you kicked him out and made him sleep on the couch, but I can hear when he gets up to use the bathroom at night. Last night and the night before, he threw up a lot. I noticed he also wasn't eating, hardly at all. He went in and got sick again tonight and it's been a long time, so I went and asked through the door if he's okay. He just said he's fine and he sent me back to bed, but I can't sleep. I know he's sick or something, but he won't tell me! I'm really worried, Yuuri-san!"

Yuuri felt mingled flickers of sympathy and annoyance for his absent partner.

 _It's great he's not drinking, but how am I going to explain that he's probably going through withdrawal because he quit drinking so suddenly? I was so mad at him, I didn't even think about that, at the time. And Victor hasn't shown me any sign of him being uncomfortable. Of course, he wouldn't. Victor knows damned well, he could use that to win me over and I'd crumble. Yeah, he knows that, but Victor is also proud. He doesn't want to win me back that way. He wants me to really forgive him._

"Yuuri-san, what can we do?" Tora asked anxiously.

Yuuri moved over, careful to avoid jostling his healing shoulder.

"Come here, Tora," he said, patting the bed beside him, "Sit down for a minute."

"But, Daddy!" the girl exclaimed, "He's…"

"It's okay, Tora," he assured her, "I'm pretty sure that I know what's wrong with Victor."

"You do?" the girl asked, looking at him through widened blue-green eyes that looked painfully like her father's, "What's wrong with him, Yuuri-san?"

"Well," Yuuri said, slipping a comforting arm around her as she sat down, "You see, Victor has had a lot of people looking at him, since he was a very young age. He was identified as a strong talent and started serious training when he was about seven years old."

"He told me. But, what does that have to do with why he's sick now?" Tora asked.

"Victor left his family, and he moved into a training facility for special talents, when he was a couple of years younger than you. In that place, he didn't just learn how to grow as a skater, he was also educated in all of his school subjects, and he was given training in how to appear in public, so that he would avoid negative press. It's very important to the Russian government that the people who represent Russia to the world, always look happy and composed, and that they handle any controversy without getting publicly angry or upset. Unfortunately, because he wasn't taught what to do with those feelings when he wasn't being watched so closely, Victor did what a lot of famous athletes and celebrities do. He turned to alcohol and started drinking with his skater friends when he was about Nico's age. It's hard to tell a lot of the time, because Victor's really good at hiding it, but he drinks often. He doesn't get drunk all of the time. That tends to happen either when he gets overexcited or when he gets really angry or upset. The thing is, using alcohol regularly, like he does, over a long time…well, his body has gotten used to having it. So, when I scolded him to stop him drinking, he stopped drinking altogether."

"Oh."

"Victor's body is used to having alcohol, which slows his heartbeat and makes him calm, so when he stopped drinking, his body started to react because the alcohol wasn't there, all of a sudden."

Tora's eyes rounded.

"You mean…he has to have it now?" she asked, "or he'll be sick like this?"

"No, it's not like that exactly," Yuuri said reassuringly, "Victor's body has been trained to rely on alcohol, but it can also be trained to live with less or with none at all. Many people who are addicted to alcohol and want to get better, go to rehabilitation centers, where they go through withdrawal, and they learn how to avoid becoming addicted again."

"S-so Daddy should go to that place to get better?"

"I don't know," Yuuri admitted, "It might be helpful, but deciding to do something like that has to be a decision a person makes for himself or herself. Otherwise, the person won't feel invested in getting well."

"Doesn't Daddy want to get well?" Tora asked worriedly.

Yuuri smiled.

"Of course he does," he answered confidently, "That's why he's not talking to anyone about it, but he's going through withdrawal. He will be uncomfortable for awhile, although it will get less and less uncomfortable over time. He might throw up. He'll have bad dreams. He'll sweat a lot and his heart might race, because it has to get used to the alcohol not being there to slow things down. But even though he's uncomfortable right now, Victor knows that if he continues not to drink alcohol, he will get over his dependence on it. He'll always have to be careful of alcohol, because once a person has been addicted, it's easy to get addicted again. It doesn't mean he will never drink alcohol, only that, if he does, he'll have to be more careful that it's not too much and not too often."

"Okay, I understand that," Tora said, frowning and rubbing her eyes, "but do we have to leave him alone? Does he have to do it by himself?"

Yuuri's expression clouded and he hugged the girl close, laying his chin on the top of her head.

"Actually, to have the best chance of success, Victor needs the people he loves to support him."

"But, he won't even let me in to talk to him!" Tora complained, tears welling up in her eyes, "He just tells me to go to bed. How can I help him if he won't even let me?"

"The truth is, you can't help Victor unless he wants you to. We can be ready to support him, but it has to be his choice."

"Why would he choose not to let me help him get better?" Tora sobbed into Yuuri's shoulder, "I _always_ ask him for help? Why is it such a big deal for him to ask me?"

"I told you," Yuuri answered, rubbing her back gently and petting the long, wild strands of her silvery hair, "Victor is proud, and he has been trained all of his life _not_ to share his troubles."

"S-so what can we do?" Tora gulped, sniffing and rubbing her wet eyes, "We have to do something! We can't just let him be sick and miserable and all alone! He'd never let us do that."

"No," Yuuri sighed, shaking his head, "he wouldn't. That's the way he is. Victor is always there for the people he loves, but he doesn't ask for any help, himself, and he tries to pretend he doesn't need it. But…there is one person who can get him to let down his guard, and if you'll try to go and get some sleep, I promise you that I can take care of Victor and make sure he's okay."

"You can, Yuuri-san? You can get him to listen to you?" Tora asked hopefully.

"I'll do my best. But I want you to go on back to bed and just let us work this out, okay? I know you want to help, but Victor is, like I said…"

"I know," Tora said, rolling her eyes, "he's _proud_. What a dummy! Everyone knows you're supposed to let people help you when you need it."

"Well," Yuuri chuckled, patting her cheek, "Victor's not like everybody."

He nudged her to her feet and started to climb out of bed, then he winced and let out a pained whimper as his injured shoulder throbbed.

"Yuuri-san!"

"Eh, it's okay. I just moved it wrong when I got up. Go on to bed now."

He left the master suite and watched as Tora entered the second bedroom and smiled at him before closing the door between them. Yuuri started towards the bathroom, then paused and winced again as another strong twinge went through his shoulder and a little shiver went through his body.

 _I took the pain medication awhile ago. I don't know why it's doing this. Maybe I'll go back to the doctor in the morning. I just hope we don't have to delay our trip home any more, because Detective Daniels…Antonia…thinks it's dangerous to stay._

He shook off the discomfort and walked to the bathroom, where he turned the door handle and found the door was locked.

"Victor?"

"Go away, Yuuri," Victor said in a low, pained voice, "I told Tora and I'm telling you, I am fine. Just go back to bed."

"Victor, open the door," Yuuri said sternly, "I know you're having withdrawal symptoms."

"Then, you know that, first, this is my fault and second, that it is my responsibility. Go back to bed. You should be resting for the flight home."

"Look, just open the damned door!" Yuuri snapped, shivering as another chill went through him, "I'm not going back to bed until you let me in, and I'm not feeling well, so you shouldn't make me stand out here any more."

"Damn it! You're so stubborn." Victor hissed angrily, " _Fine_ , then. Just don't let Tora…"

"She's gone back to bed, but she's really worried about you."

Yuuri heard a small click and when he tried the door again, it opened. He entered the bathroom and found his husband sitting near the toilet with his back against the wall. His legs were drawn up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them, and his head rested on his arms, with his face turned towards Yuuri.

 _I don't see these eyes often…the ones he shows when he's overwhelmed by something. They look feral, like the eyes of a wild animal that's been cornered. It's a sign of just how much is between us that he'll let me close to him when he's so vulnerable. If it was anyone else, he'd force a smile and distract them. But Victor trusts me. Victor knows I will never hurt him when his defenses are collapsed like this._

"You should have just asked me to help you."

"Well, you weren't talking to me," Victor said sullenly as Yuuri dampened a washcloth, then started to sit down beside him. Halfway down, a painful throbbing went through his shoulder and he dropped the washcloth and let out a little whimper.

"Yuuri!" Victor exclaimed, ignoring the washcloth and curving a palm around his cheek, "It's hurting that much, even with medication? And your face is hot!"

Victor held a hand to his stomach as he dragged himself to his feet.

"I thought I was getting better," Yuuri mused, wiping his damp brow, "Maybe I should go and see the doctor in the morning."

"What are you talking about?" Victor asked sternly, grabbing a thermometer and shoving it into his surprised partner's mouth, "The doctor said that if you were feverish and the pain was getting worse, you should come back right away!"

The thermometer beeped and Victor took it out and scowled as he looked at it.

"It's over a hundred and two," he said worriedly, "Yuuri, we need to go back to the hospital now!"

"But…"

"But, _nothing_!" Victor snapped, putting his arm around his shaky spouse and helping him to his feet, "We're going!"

He led Yuuri out of the bathroom and hurried to the hotel room door, where Sava stood on night duty.

"Sava, I need you to watch over Tora, while I take Yuuri back to the hospital, Radio our shadow and tell him where we're going."

"Of course, sir."

"If Tora gets scared, just tell her that I'll come back and get her later. Stay inside the room, so you'll know if she needs anything."

"Yes, sir."

Victor kept an arm around Yuuri as the two headed for the elevator.

"You know, we should have dressed," Yuuri complained weakly, "We're going in our pajamas and slippers."

"Well, that doesn't matter," Victor insisted, "You know the doctor told you that if there were any signs of infection, you shouldn't wait. It could be serious, Yuuri!"

Yuuri sagged against his husband's side.

"Don't scold me right now. As soon as I got up, I started to feel really bad."

"I probably would have picked up on it before this if we hadn't been quarreling," Victor said in a guilty tone, "Of course, you wouldn't have been shot and we wouldn't have been quarreling if I hadn't…"

"Don't worry about that now," Yuuri said, hugging him, "Let's just focus on getting to the doctor."

The elevator door opened and they started to exit, but Yuuri stumbled. Without a word, Victor swept him up and carried him to the front desk.

"I texted for our car to be brought around," he told the clerk.

"Yes, Mr. Nikiforov."

"You don't have to do that," Yuuri sighed wearily, resting his head on Victor's shoulder, "I can walk."

"No, you can't," Victor said firmly, "Just be quiet and don't stress yourself out."

"I'm not stressed out," Yuuri mumbled, closing his eyes, "I know you'll take care of me."

"Next time you're hurt and mad, you have to still let me look at you to make sure you're not getting an infection, all right?"

"Okay, but I really hope there isn't a next time of me being shot. It really hurts."

"I know," Victor said sympathetically.

"How can you know?" Yuuri said, giving him an amused look as Victor carried him out to the arriving limousine and helped him into the back, "You've never been shot."

"I have too," Victor said, placing a hand on his left breast, "Right in the heart, by you."

"V-victor!" Yuuri laughed, groaning as he felt another twinge in his shoulder, "That's so corny!"

"Sorry, I was just trying to make you laugh."

"Laughing hurts, stupid!"

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Victor held Yuuri against him all of the way back to the hospital, his own arms still shaking slightly from his earlier discomfort.

 _I don't have time for that now. I have to focus on Yuuri. I need to know he's all right, then I can get back to worrying about fixing my bad behavior._

The limousine stopped at the entrance to the emergency room, and Victor carried Yuuri inside. A triage nurse stepped forward to meet them.

"This is Yuuri Nikiforov," Victor explained quickly, "He was treated several days ago for…"

"A gunshot wound. I remember," the triage nurse said.

"Yuuri's got a high fever and more pain."

"Come right this way," the nurse said, leading Victor into a private hallway, "He needs to be seen right away."

Victor carried his drowsy husband into the treatment room and laid him on the examination table.

"Can you get me a pillow?" Yuuri asked dazedly.

"Nurse…Meadows, is it?"

"Yes."

"Is Yuuri going to be all right?" Victor asked anxiously.

"The doctor will see him right away," the nurse said reassuringly, hurrying to check Yuuri's vital signs, then heading back to the door, "He'll be right in."

The doctor arrived a moment later and quickly examined the wound, then drew several vials of blood.

"Doctor, is Yuuri going to be all right?" Victor pleaded, "H-he doesn't have blood poisoning, does he?"

"I'm not sure how bad the infection is," the doctor answered, "I am having the lab work done immediately, so we should have an answer within an hour or so. In the meantime, we'll put your husband in a room, and you can wait with him."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

Victor waited as two orderlies moved his sick partner to a room, then he planted himself at Yuuri's side. A nurse arrived soon to take Yuuri's vitals again, but as she prepared to leave the room, she paused and looked at Victor more closely.

"Are you all right, Mr. Nikiforov?" she asked, "You look pale and kind of shaky."

"I suppose it's just nerves," Victor lied.

"Hmm…" the nurse mused, "Why don't you let me have a quick look at you?"

"Yuuri is the one who needs help," Victor argued.

"Yuuri is getting the help he needs," the nurse said calmly, "But…while he does, maybe you should let me make sure that you will be well enough to be there for him. I can see quite clearly you are uncomfortable."

Victor sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

"I'm suffering from alcohol withdrawal," he explained, "It's nothing. It's not going to kill me…and I probably deserve the discomfort, since I did this to myself."

"Mr. Nikiforov," the nurse said, touching his arm gently, "no one deserves to be in pain. Please, while your partner is being cared for, let me make sure that you are taken care of soon."

She glanced back at Yuuri's troubled sleeping face.

"What do you think that he would want you to do?" she asked.

"That's not fair," Victor complained.

"It never is," the nurse agreed, "So, are you going to let me get you comfortable, so you can be there for him?"

Victor gazed at Yuuri and let out a long, shaky breath.

"Fine. Okay. Do whatever you think you need to do. Just…please make sure that Yuuri is all right."


	18. Waiting Faithfully

**Chapter 18: Waiting Faithfully**

Tora looked up from where she sat in the back seat of the lady detective's car and met her aunt's eyes briefly in the rearview mirror. Antonia gave her a little, encouraging smile and continued in the direction of the hospital where Yuuri was being treated.

"Are you doing all right?" she asked, "I know you've had a lot to take in, given everything that's going on."

"I'm okay," Tora sighed wearily, "I just didn't sleep very well. I was worried about Daddy and Yuuri-san. Did Daddy say anything about how Yuuri-san is doing, when he talked to you earlier? He didn't tell me anything."

"They were still waiting for some test results, but you don't need to worry. I know the doctors who are treating Yuuri, and they are very capable."

"I know. I just don't like him being sick and hurt. I really love Yuuri-san. He's been my friend since before we even knew each other."

Antonia smiled.

"He is a very kind, gentle person."

"It's no wonder Daddy loves him," Tora said, smiling adoringly, "When they just threw me onto Daddy's doorstep, Yuuri-san didn't even hesitate. He just started taking care of me, like it didn't matter to him who I was. He just wanted to help. I wasn't very nice to him."

"Probably because life wasn't being very nice to you, at the time," Antonia speculated, "You were very lucky that he was there for you."

"I know," Tora said, nodding, "and I want to be there for him now that he needs me. I want to be there for Daddy too. He sounded so tired when he just said hello to me on the phone before."

"Well, knowing Victor, he probably hasn't shut his eyes the whole time that he's been there."

"I'm sure he didn't," Tora speculated, "And Daddy wasn't feeling well. He threw up and Yuuri-san said it was because he stopped drinking alcohol when he was used to drinking a lot."

"That can make a person pretty sick, and him especially, because he's been drinking more due to the stress he's been feeling over everything that's going on."

"And now, Yuuri-san is sick. I'm really worried about both of them."

"I know you are," Antonia acknowledged, "but just remember that your father and Yuuri are strong people. They've made you strong too, Tora. Whatever happens, you will be okay."

"But, what if…?"

"Please trust me, Tora. I am watching out for them, and they are watching out for each other and for you. It will be all right, okay?"

"Okay," Tora said, sounding less than reassured.

Tora's body tensed as the car entered the hospital parking area. She remained at the lady detective's side until they were inside the hospital and past the nurse's station, then she hurried to the indicated door and stepped inside. She slid to a stop, blinking as she spotted Yuuri sleeping in the hospital bed and Victor sleeping in a chair, with his upper body leaned forward and resting on Yuuri's chest and shoulder.

Antonia caught up with her and gave her a little smile as she took in the sight of the two sleeping men.

"You see? They look like they're resting okay," she said softly to Tora, "Let's just sit over here and we can wait until they wake up."

"Okay," Tora said, sounding more than a little disappointed.

"We can use the time to get to know each other a little better," Antonia suggested, "I feel bad that I wasn't there before. I wish that things hadn't taken the turns they did."

"Me too," Tora agreed, "Mommy didn't tell me anything about her family. She only told me that her father was really mad when she had a baby when she wasn't married. She was worried that he would hurt my daddy. I know that Daddy loves Yuuri-san, but I think he really must have loved my mom…just not the same way."

"I think you're right," Antonia said, nodding, "Victor appreciates the beauty inside people, as well as the beauty on the outside. Your mother was not just pretty. She was a strong, independent person. Both of them were young and impulsive, but they were also very good hearted. I am sure that Sage's decision not to tell your father about you sooner shows that kindness. She loved you and she knew that you would be happy, knowing who your father was and that he was a good person. But, she had to weigh that against how it was likely to affect Victor's life. She knew very well that he wasn't the type to dismiss the existence of his child. He would have come to her, and she was worried that he would be likely to hurt himself and Yuuri by breaking up that relationship to do what he thought was the right thing."

"Do you think that Daddy would have left Yuuri-san?" Tora asked, "They seem so much in love."

"They are very much in love. But sometimes, love demands that people make sacrifices. Sage was probably worried that such a sacrifice as leaving Yuuri would be too much to ask of Victor, and being the person he was, Victor would have felt obligated. Instead, she gave you all of the love that both of them would have given you, and she made sure that if anything happened to her, you and Victor would meet, and he would take care of you. Even though she didn't tell your father right away, she made sure that there would be a way for him to learn of you, no matter what course everything took."

"I'm glad I got to know my daddy and Yuuri-san…but I really miss Mommy."

"I know you do," Antonia said, gently touching Tora's face, "I miss her too. I regret every minute that we had to miss out on, because of our father's hatred. Hatred is such an ugly thing. It brings so much sadness and suffering to the world. I'm glad that you have kind, loving parents to make sure that you're not like our father was. And Tora, I promise you that I won't let that hatred anywhere near you. I'm going to be here, protecting you. Just…be very sure that you don't repeat what I said to you."

"Okay, I'll remember," Tora promised, "Until you catch that man who is trying to hurt us, it's Detective Daniels."

"Right."

The two paused in their conversation as Victor drew a deeper breath, then opened his eyes and slowly looked around the room until he spotted them.

"Tora," he yawned.

He nodded briefly at Antonia.

"Thank you for bringing her over."

"It's no problem," Antonia said, standing, "I do need to get going, but I'll be by later to bring you up to date on the investigation."

"Again, thank you."

"You're welcome, Victor. See you later, Tora."

"Bye, Detective Daniels," Tora said, giving her aunt a wink.

Victor watched the detective leave, then he motioned for his daughter to join him. Tora stood and carried her chair over, placing it next to Victor's, so she could sit down at his side. Victor slipped an arm around her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly, without telling you," he apologized.

"It's okay," Tora assured him, "You were worried about Yuuri-san, and besides, you didn't leave me alone. Sava was there. He was really nice. Then, Detective Daniels came to bring me over. We talked a lot about Mommy. It made me feel better, but I'm still worried about Yuuri-san. When will we know how he's doing?"

"Ah," Victor sighed, rubbing his reddened eyes and looking up at the clock, "soon, I think?"

He let out a shuddering breath and hugged Tora tightly.

"It's really hard, waiting."

"For me, too," Tora agreed, "But I'm glad we're together."

"I'm glad too," Victor agreed, kissing the top of her head, "I never knew what a blessing a child could be until I met you, Tora. I'm just sorry that things had to happen the way they did. We should have been able to meet when you were born."

"But, Mommy thought…"

"I know," Victor assured her, his blue-green eyes misting, "I'm not angry at Sage for not telling me. Really, I'm not. I just feel sad that it had to be that way. I would have loved to be there on the day you were born. I know we didn't plan it, and we weren't going to stay together, but I would have been happy to be there with you. I would have, I swear, Tora."

"I know," Tora said, smiling sadly, "Mommy knew that too. Detective Daniels said that she thinks Mommy was just worried that you would have to give up being with Yuuri-san."

"Tora, I…"

"It's okay," she interrupted, "I'm not mad about that anymore. I'm glad you and Yuuri-san are together."

"You are?" Victor asked, his eyes narrowing slightly, "Even though that meant that I couldn't be there with you sooner?"

Tora sighed and thought for a moment.

"Detective Daniels also told me that sometimes people have to make sacrifices. Mommy didn't want you to have to choose between Yuuri-san and me. She knew that, no matter who you chose, you would be sad. She didn't want to make you sad, and I don't want you to be sad either."

"Tora," Victor whispered, his eyes filling with grateful tears, "I'm so happy I get to be with you now. I'm sorry about what happened to your mother, but…you are such a blessing. I know Yuuri feels the same way."

"Is he going to wake up soon, Daddy?"

"I don't know."

Tora looked up at him worriedly.

"It's a bad infection, isn't it?"

Victor nodded wordlessly and hugged her again.

"It will be okay," he assured her, "Yuuri is strong and he is very stubborn. He wants to be with us, so he will get better. We just need to stay close to him and encourage him. That's all Yuuri needs. That's what he would tell us if he could talk to us right now."

"How do you know?"

Victor gave her a nostalgic look.

"Because I know Yuuri better than I know anyone else. And I have let him know me better than anyone else knows me."

"It's like how well Nico and I know each other, except that we're just best friends."

"Yuuri and I are also best friends," Victor said, recovering an affectionate smile, "and we are married."

He paused, his eyes growing sad again.

"What is it?" Tora asked, "What's wrong, Daddy?"

"I just wondered," Victor said quietly, "if maybe it's my fault that Sage didn't get to have that happiness…of falling deeply in love with someone…of being married and having children together. She was blessed to have you, but I wish that she'd found that other kind of happiness as well."

"I think Mommy was happy," Tora said reassuringly, "She said that I made her very happy. And once, when I asked her if she missed my Daddy, she told me that she thought about him, in a good way, every time she looked at me. I reminded her of you, and she liked being reminded of you. I think she loved you, even though she wasn't _in love_ with you."

"That's a comforting thought," Victor said more happily, "Thank you, Tora."

"Are you feeling okay now, Daddy? I don't just mean about Yuuri-san. You were sick before."

"I saw a doctor here about that, while I was waiting for Yuuri to get settled. They gave me something to make me more comfortable as I get used to not drinking alcohol."

"It's really hard to stop drinking alcohol, isn't it?"

Victor nodded.

"I was stupid to let myself think that I had it under my control. I thought because I wasn't getting drunk all of the time, that meant I wasn't addicted. But addiction is not just getting drunk from time to time. Addiction is when a drug…any drug, becomes so much a part of a person's life that they can't function well without it. I will feel better soon. Don't worry. And now that I am a little wiser, I won't fall into that same trap again."

"I wish I could help."

Victor smiled and tousled her hair.

"You are helping," he insisted, "You are giving me all kinds of inspiration to be a better person. I'm already a better person than I was when I met you. And I feel like I get better every day, while you are here."

Tora hugged him tightly and started to answer, but she felt Victor stiffen as a male doctor entered the room, wearing a serious expression.

"Mr. Nikiforov?"

"Yes," Victor answered, looking up at him with an anxious expression, "You have gotten the results of the tests you ran?"

"Yes," the doctor affirmed.

"Doctor Morris, tell me, is Yuuri going to be all right?" Victor asked nervously, "Is he going to wake up soon?"

"I wish that I could answer that question definitively, but although the tests revealed no signs of blood poisoning, which was our greatest concern, the infection Yuuri has is still very serious. We have treated it aggressively, and he is responding, so that is good. Unfortunately, he still has some fighting to do. He may remain unconscious for awhile. This is just his body's way of conserving energy to fight the infection. I know that it's hard, waiting, but please believe that we are doing everything we can. Yuuri is getting the best possible care right now. And it is good for him to have you both here, encouraging him."

"Okay," Victor said, lowering his eyes and taking a shuddering breath, "Thank you Doctor Morris."

"You are welcome, Victor. I have instructed the staff to allow the two of you to stay with Yuuri as much as you like. Please ask for anything else you need."

"We're fine, thank you again, Doctor Morris."

"It's no problem."

The doctor took his leave, and Victor sagged wearily.

"Daddy, you still look really tired," Tora noticed, "Please will you lie down like you were before and rest? I promise if Yuuri-san even moves a little, I will wake you up right away."

"I don't think I can sleep anymore right now," Victor answered unhappily, "I wish that I could fall asleep."

"Who's falling asleep on the job?" a female voice called out from the doorway as two women entered the room.

As Victor's eyes met theirs, Victor's lit happily at seeing them.

"Minako! Mari!" he exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"We heard about Yuuri being injured," Mari explained, "We would have been here sooner, but we couldn't get a flight any faster. How is he doing?"

"The doctor said that it isn't blood poisoning, which is a good thing, but it is a serious infection, and Yuuri's body is working hard to fight it. He may be unconscious for awhile. The doctor also told us that it's good for us to stay with Yuuri and encourage him."

"It looks like you've been doing more than your share of the encouraging," Minako observed, placing her hands on her hips, "Why don't you put your head down, there and rest. I won't bother asking you to leave. I know you won't leave him, but you need to rest, even if you do stay."

"I just was telling Tora, I don't know if I can sleep anymore."

"Put your head down, Mister!" Minako said, pushing him down firmly until his head rested on Yuuri's shoulder again.

Victor sighed and yawned almost instantly.

"Okay, maybe I am a little tired."

"Get some rest," Mari insisted, "We've got this."

She gave Tora a friendly smile.

"I think we're going to be catching up with this young lady right here. Is this the daughter that we've been hearing so much about from Yuuri?"

"This is my daughter, Tora," Victor managed sleepily, without lifting his head, "Tora, this is Mari, Yuuri's sister, and Minako, Yuuri's ballet instructor and good friend."

"It's nice to meet you," Tora said, blushing shyly.

"It' nice to meet you too, Tora," Mari said, nodding.

"Wow," Minako said, smirking, "it's not hard to tell who's girl she is, is it, Victor?"

She blinked curiously as she realized Victor wasn't answering, then a soft snore sounded.

Tora laughed softly.

"Looks like Daddy was tired enough to sleep after all!"

"Geez, I guess," Minako chuckled, "That may be a world record for fastest falling asleep."


	19. The Moments That Won't Come Back

**Chapter 19: The Moments That Won't Come Back**

"Yuuri," Victor whispered into his unconscious husband's ear as he snuggled closer to Yuuri in the hospital bed, "Yuuri, how long are you going to keep punishing me? I told you I was sorry. I stopped drinking, even though it half killed me to start going through withdrawal. I'm being nice to Nico. I'm being the best father to Tora I can be. I even sent her and Nico out with Mari and Minako to go on a shopping spree, and still you won't even open your eyes and talk to me?"

He nuzzled Yuuri's soft cheek and burrowed into his shoulder.

"You'll be the death of me, I swear!" he huffed, pouting, "Here, I do everything you asked for, and I sit by you every minute. I think I've proven how much I love you…and…how sorry I am. Will you please wake up, Yuuri?"

"Now, what have I told you about badgering the poor dear while he's sleeping, Mr. Nikiforova?" a mocking male voice said as a tall, smirking nurse with narrowed golden brown eyes and thick blonde hair held back in a neat ponytail and sporting royal purple ends, "Don't make me have to kick you out of here. You know, we've been bending the rules almost until they snap, letting you stay in here with your cute sleeping beauty."

Victor gave the man a sulky look and sat up on the bed.

"It's…Nikiforov," he corrected the nurse.

His lips curled very slightly.

"Nurse Rotini," he finished saucily.

"That's Roccetti!" the nurse snapped, "with a _ch_ , and don't you forget it!"

He moved to Yuuri's side and bent slightly to pick up the sleeping skater's wrist. Victor gave him a petulant look.

"You know, you have a stethoscope for a reason," he commented, "You don't need tobe holding my husband's hand so long."

The nurse gave him a too charming smile.

"Oh, you're right. I forgot. So silly of me, Mr. Nikiforova!"

"Nikiforov!" Victor snapped, "Nikiforova is the feminine gender, as I'm sure you've been told. My daughter goes by Nikiforova. I am Nikiforov."

"Lovely girl," Roccetti answered, his tone lightening as he slipped his stethoscope under Yuuri's gown, "Very sweet. She…takes after her mother, right?"

"Very funny," Victor said dryly, "You should have been a comedian and left the nursing to people who can nurture, not torture."

"Well," Roccetti snickered, "you know, they need people who are able to handle difficult patients who are physically challenging…or just plain annoying."

"Don't you have something to do there?" Victor asked crossly, "You've moved that stethoscope around twenty times. Surely, you've heard enough of his heartbeat now."

"It's hard to be sure what I've heard with you growling at me. Maybe if you'll quiet down and let me do my job, I'll be done faster."

"The sooner your hands are off my husband, the better," Victor huffed.

The two young men left off talking abruptly as a middle-aged woman in a lab coat walked into the room. She gave Victor a look of mock sternness.

"Mr. Nikiforov," she scolded him teasingly, "are you giving my nurse a hard time again?"

"Who is giving who a hard time?" Victor complained, "I am only lying here with a horrible headache and waiting for Yuuri to open his eyes. He's been unconscious for too long! Isn't there something you can do?"

Nurse Roccetti rolled his eyes.

"I've told him that…"

"It's okay, Paolo," the doctor chuckled.

"Paolo?" Victor repeated, giving the nurse a teasing smirk, "Doesn't that mean _small_ or _petite_? No wonder you are being such a comedian. You take after your parents who called you that."

"Victor," the doctor said, arching an eyebrow, making the Russian skater bite at his lip to hide his little snarky smile, "you should be nicer to the people giving care to Yuuri. It's not an easy job, you know."

"Especially, dealing with people like…"

"Paolo, why don't you go and get Victor's next dose of the sedative for his withdrawal. He seems jittery."

"I'm not jittery," Victor objected, "I don't need a sedative. I feel…"

"You are snapping at my nurse and talking back to me," the doctor said, matter-of-factly, "Now, you can take the sedative by mouth or we could do an injection."

Victor blinked and paled slightly.

"Okay, fine," he sighed as the nurse returned and handed him the medicine cup.

He swallowed the pill without looking at it, then gulped down several swallows of water.

"Okay, I took the sedative. Will you please tell me if Yuuri is still doing all right, Doctor Collins?"

"Give me a moment," the doctor chuckled, leaning over Yuuri and examining him carefully, "Everything looks fine here, and we have been seeing signs of his consciousness beginning to return. I think it will not be much longer."

"I hope you're right," Victor said, blinking sleepily as the sedative began to make him drowsy, "I'm trying to patient like you say, but…"

"I understand," the lady doctor replied warmly, watching as Victor yawned and rested his head on Yuuri's shoulder again, "You are worried about him. He's been through a difficult time."

"And I haven't been able to do anything," Victor sighed, yawning again and blinking sleepily.

"Of course you have," the doctor said reassuringly as his eyes blinked again and closed, "You've been by his side all of this time. Rest now for a bit, and when you wake, Yuuri will probably be starting to wake also."

Her smile warmed at hearing no answer. Paolo sighed and shook his head in annoyance.

"God, he's a handful," he muttered, "I wonder how someone as sweet as Yuuri Katsuki puts up with him."

"Victor is spirited," Doctor Collins laughed.

" _Spirited_?" the nurse repeated with an edge of sarcasm, "Try impossible. He doesn't listen to anyone about anything, pretty much ever."

"Oh, there is someone who Victor listens to very well," the lady doctor assured him, "It's just that person hasn't been awake, so Victor is not so well grounded as usual, I think."

"Heh, you're nicer than I am," Nurse Roccetti said, rolling his eyes, "I say Yuuri had better wake up before Victor drives all of us as crazy as he is."

He started out the door, but stopped as the doctor's voice sounded behind him.

"Oh Paolo?"

"Hmm?"

"The next time you give Victor his meds, use the lower dose pill. This one knocked him out almost instantly,"

"Oh," the nurse snickered, giving Collins a little wink, "my bad. I'll try to remember for next time…although he was very worked up, wasn't he? And you did say to increase the amount if the symptoms were stronger, right?"

"Yes," Collins said, shaking her head in amusement, "I did say that…but…use the lighter dose next time."

"Yes, ma'am," Paolo sighed.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Thanks so much, Aunt Mari!" Tora said appreciatively as she sat down with Mari, Minako and Niko at a table in the mall food court, "It was really nice of you to let Nico come with us shopping."

"Hey," Mari chuckled, "any friend of yours is a friend of ours. But, we want to hear all of the dirt."

"The, uh, dirt?" Nico repeated, blinking.

"Come on," Minako coaxed the two, "We've heard that Tora is Victor's daughter that he didn't know about, and that you guys have been in some real danger. But, we haven't heard a thing about how Victor and your mom met. So, dish!"

"W-well," Tora said, glancing at Nico, "Daddy told me that he and Mommy met because they did an ice dance at an exhibition a long time ago. They were only nineteen then, but I guess they weren't very wise or very careful."

"When is Victor ever wise?" Minako chuckled.

"Careful's not really his strong suit either," Mari added, smirking.

"They were only together one night, and when Mommy found out, she was afraid because her dad said he would kill my father, whoever it was."

"Also not surprising," Minako said, crossing her arms, "I think with the wild thing that Victor was back then, a few people would have wanted to kill him."

"But my mom's father was really serious about it," Tora said, her eyes wide, "He tried all kinds of things to learn who my dad was, but Mommy was very careful, and he never found out. Well, not until after Mommy died."

"Hey, I'm really sorry you lost your mom, sweetie," Mari said kindly.

"Me too," Minako agreed.

"But, I am glad that we've gotten to meet now," Mari went on, "It's so funny to think of Yuuri and Victor trying to be anyone's parent. The two of them can barely keep themselves out of trouble!"

"Yuuri-san has been really great," Tora said, an edge of sadness in her voice, "He was the first one I met when I got taken to Russia. He took care of me, and even though I misunderstood something and I was really mean to him for a while, he was always good to me. I feel bad about how I acted before…especially now."

"Mr. Katsuki was so brave, protecting us like he did," Nico said appreciatively, "We wouldn't be here if not for him."

"Yuuri has a good heart," Minako said affectionately, "We're all just glad that he's going to be okay."

"Except that he still isn't awake after he got the infection. Everyone keeps saying he'll be okay, but I still feel worried, and I know Daddy is too."

"Yeah, he looked it," Mari agreed, "at least until he fell asleep when we got there."

"Daddy's been kind of sick."

"Oh?" Minako inquired, "What's wrong with him? I mean, besides Yuuri being injured."

"Eh…" Tora said, shifting uncomfortably, "I kind of didn't mean to say that. I'm not supposed to…"

"Oh no," Minako snickered, "don't think you can put the cat back in the bag. C'mon, you know we'll make you tell."

"Well…uh…" Tora hedged, "I…he isn't _really_ sick exactly. He's more like not feeling well because…"

"Yeah?" Mari inquired, leaning on her hand and smiling.

"Uh, it's because Yuuri-san got mad at him for being drunk in front of me, so Daddy's trying not to drink any alcohol, like he promised Yuuri-san, but it makes him kind of sick."

"Victor giving up booze for my brother?" Mari laughed, "That's funny."

"Well, it wasn't funny how it made Daddy throw up so much and stop eating enough."

"No, I'll bet that wasn't so funny," Minako agreed, "But it's probably best if Victor shapes up so that he can do a better job of being an example for you."

"I already know some things _not_ to do, because of Daddy," Tora giggled, glancing at Nico, who had a like reaction, "He's also been good about some things. He's been practicing skating with me."

"You're an ice skater too, huh?" Mari said, looking impressed.

"Nico too," Tora affirmed, "And you know what? Nico is going to be my partner someday when we're older. Daddy just invited Nico to come back to Russia to train!"

"He did what?" Minako asked, glancing at Nico appraisingly, "I'd have thought that Victor would have the shotgun out the second he saw Nico anywhere near you."

"Eh…" Tora said, blushing.

"Oh," said Nico, "Mr. Nikiforov wasn't very nice to me until Tora explained to him that I'm gay."

"Nico, I thought you didn't want anyone to know…"

Nico's smile warmed.

"Well, that was why I called you. I finally told my parents."

"You did?" Tora asked, her eyes widening, "What happened? Were they mad or anything?"

"Not really," Nico mused, "It was like they might already have guessed or something. It was a relief to tell them and stop worrying so much. They were nice about it…and when I asked them about me training in Russia, they said that it sounded like an amazing opportunity. I mean…I never ever thought that Mr. Nikiforov would offer to be my coach."

"Whoa! Wait a minute!" Minako exclaimed, "Victor's going to coach you, himself?"

Tora sighed and rolled her eyes.

"He was being ridiculous and he made Yuuri-san really mad by embarrassing Nico when he had Nico skate my part of an ice dance with lifts and everything. But Nico was amazing, and I guess Daddy thinks he's really good. I mean, he didn't say it like that. He more like told Nico, _If you want to skate with my daughter, you have to prove yourself to me_."

"Oh god, that sounds like Victor!" Mari laughed.

"That's part of why Yuuri-san was making Daddy sleep on the couch."

"I'll bet Victor loved that," Minako snickered.

"He was pretty miserable, especially because he was having alcohol withdrawal too."

"No wonder he was such a mess when we saw him," Minako said dryly, "Well, now it makes sense."

"Hey," Mari said, noting that they were finished with their food, "Now that we've gotten to know each other a little, how about we go to the ice rink, and you and Nico can show us your skating?"

"Really?" Tora said excitedly, "That would be so fun!"

"Let's do it, then," Mari said, standing, "We've got awhile before we need to have you back at the hospital to meet Victor. Let's go have some fun!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Yuuri groaned softly and opened his eyes, blinking repeatedly to clear his vision. He felt soft breaths tickling his neck and turned his head to find Victor curled up with him on the hospital bed, and snoring contentedly.

"Victor?" he called softly, touching his sleeping husband's face.

He shifted and shook Victor gently, then more urgently.

"Victor, are you okay?"

"Oh, he's fine," Nurse Roccetti chuckled, entering the room and moving to Yuuri's side, "He just wore himself out, worrying, then we gave him his sedative for the withdrawal symptoms and he dropped right off. He'll probably sleep for another hour or so. It's kind of ironic, though. He was waiting so impatiently for you to wake up."

"Oh," Yuuri said, brightening as he brushed the hairs out of Victor's tired face and kissed his husband's forehead, "that is ironic. But, it's fine to let him sleep. I'm sure he was really worried and not taking care of himself."

He looked around the dimly lit room.

"Where is Tora-chan?"

"Your daughter?" Roccetti inquired, "She left with a couple of Japanese ladies who came to visit. I think they said one of them was your sister?"

"Mari's here?"

"Right. Mari. And the other was…"

"Probably Minako," Yuuri said in an amused tone, "I'll bet they're out now, spoiling her to death and pumping her for all kinds of information."

"Yup, they seemed like the type," Roccetti laughed, bending over Yuuri and checking his vital signs.

Yuuri looked up at the nurse gratefully.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Oh, it's what we do…healing people."

"I didn't mean just that," Yuuri said, petting his sleeping husband's hair tenderly, "I know Victor probably was a nightmare while I was sleeping."

"Ah, no way," the nurse laughed, "Okay, maybe a little."

"Or a lot," Yuuri said apologetically, "Victor is carrying a lot of weight on his heart. I'm sorry if he took some of that out on you and the others here."

"Hey," Roccetti said, shaking his head, "don't worry about it. You're awake now. I'm sure he'll be a perfect gentleman when he wakes up."

"That must be some strong sedative you gave him," Yuuri commented.

"Oh," snickered the nurse, "that it was. It was totally necessary, given the circumstances."

"I'm sure it was."


	20. The Long Way Home

**Chapter 20: The Long Way Home**

The caress of soft fingers in his hair was the first thing that reached down to begin to bring Victor back to wakefulness.

 _It feels so good, but…it's probably one of those very lifelike dreams, right? Yuuri's been so mad at me. He wouldn't be touching me like this. He's too angry at me._

 _Why was that?_

 _God, my head is so foggy. Nothing is making sense. My body feels so heavy._

"Victor," Yuuri's voice whispered, then more softly, "Vitya?"

The more intimate use of his name brought him closer to wakefulness, and because it was something that Yuuri mostly used when they were together sexually, it caused a physical reaction in Victor's very deprived loins.

"Oh," he groaned sleepily, "don't just be another stupid wet dream, okay?"

"Um…" Yuuri said in a flustered tone, "Victor…"

"No!" Victor whimpered, keeping his eyes closed, "Damn it, no more teasing me, Yuuri! If you are waking me up, it had better be because you forgive me and we're going to have…"

"Victor!" Yuuri snapped, making his husband jump awake and open his eyes.

He took in the adorable sight of his flustered spouse's blushing face, then the fact that Tora and Nico were on the other side of Yuuri's hospital bed, alongside an amused looking Mari and Minako.

"Ah…we're going to have _something to eat_ ," he corrected himself hastily, "Yuuri, I'm starved! You must be too, after all of that sleeping."

He paused and gave Yuuri a sheepish smile.

"I'm so glad you're awake!" he gushed, "I was dying, waiting here forever for you to open your eyes. You tortured me so much!"

"Probably not as much as you tortured poor Nurse Roccetti," Yuuri scolded him.

"What? Me torturing him?" Victor objected, "That man purposely butchered my name, and he had his hands all over you!"

"He _had_ to touch me to take my vital signs and temperature, idiot!" Yuuri snapped, "I know how you are when you're being overprotective. You were probably rude to him and got on his bad side. And if you want me to forgive you, then you'll apologize to him when you see him."

"That's not fair," Victor complained, "The man despises me."

"I would too, if you acted like that to me."

"Um…guys?" Minako interjected.

"Sorry," Yuuri and Victor said together.

"Yuuri-san," Tora said, moving to his bedside, "it's really good to see you awake. Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah," Yuuri chuckled, mussing the silvery strands of her hair with the fingers of his free hand, "I feel a lot better now. I'm sorry I worried you, Tora-chan."

"Oh, you're sorry you worried Tora…" Victor muttered sulkily, "What about me? You scared me to death, getting so sick and being unconscious for days. When we go home, you aren't kicking me out of our room anymore. I have to sleep next to you to make sure nothing like this happens again, even if you don't talk to me, okay?"

Yuuri's expression softened and he cupped a hand around Victor's face affectionately.

"You really were worried sick, weren't you?" he asked penitently.

"I think my heart would die inside me if I lost you," Victor insisted, hugging him tightly, "Yuuri, don't scare me like that again!"

"Me either," Tora agreed, hugging Yuuri from the other side of the hospital bed.

"Sorry!" Yuuri apologized, unable to hide the rush of emotion at just how loved he felt by the two.

"So, when do you get out of here?" Minako asked, "You were supposed to go home a few days ago, right?"

"And Victor's competing in the NHK Trophy, right?" Mari added, "You've got to be in Japan for that."

"Right," Yuuri agreed, "The doctor said I would be released this morning. Detective Daniels is working on arrangements for us to fly to Japan, where we can stay until Victor's competition."

"God, I haven't put in nearly enough practice!" Victor sighed, "With everything happening…I don't know. Maybe I should withdraw from the competition."

"No way!" Yuuri exclaimed, squeezing his hand, "You're going to compete."

"But I'm not ready," Victor complained, "and I feel bad that it's really my fault that you got hurt and can't compete."

Yuuri frowned.

"And you think that you also sitting out the competition is supposed to make me feel _better_?" he objected, "I want to see you skate, even if I can't skate with you until after the Grand Prix Finals. And I know that Tora wants to see you skate in competition too."

"He's right, Daddy," Tora added, "I want to cheer you on this time. It's the first time I'll get to see you compete in person, knowing you're my dad."

Victor gave her a helpless smile.

"I look forward to that too. All right, if that's what you both want, then I will practice hard in Hasetsu, so that I can win at the NHK Trophy."

He thought for a moment, then groaned.

"What's wrong?" Yuuri asked, frowning.

"Yakov is already pissed I've been away so long. When I tell him I'll be phoning in my last practice sessions, he's going to pop a blood vessel, maybe have an aneurysm. I need to buy earplugs before I talk to him."

"That doesn't sound like fun," Minako chuckled.

"You could go back to Russia to train with Yakov," Yuuri suggested, "Tora and I could go to Hasetsu and let my family spoil us until it's time to meet you at the NHK Trophy."

Victor scowled playfully.

"No way you are going to Hasetsu without me!" he exclaimed, shaking his head firmly, "Without me, you'll be eating pork cutlet bowls every day and gaining ten pounds before we get you started training for the Japanese Nationals!"

"I think I deserve a pork cutlet bowl or two after _getting shot because of you_!" Yuuri snapped back at him.

"I _said_ I'm sorry a million times!" Victor objected, "I stopped drinking, even though it made me dog sick. I slept on the sofa. I beg and plead and still you never forgive me!"

"It hasn't been that long," Yuuri said skeptically, "And I accept your apology now, as long as you don't get drunk and get anyone shot again."

"Yuuri!"

The two ladies made sounds of relief as Yuuri's doctor walked in with Nurse Roccetti at his side.

"Thank god. Those two were driving me crazy," Minako muttered under her breath.

"Me too," Mari whispered back.

Yuuri shot Victor a stern look, and the Russian skater flinched visibly.

"Erm, Nurse Roccetti, Doctor Collins," he greeted the two, sitting up on the bed, "eh…thanks for looking after Yuuri."

Yuuri nudged him with an elbow.

"Ow!" Victor complained, "Ah, and I'm sorry if I was troublesome while I was detoxifying. I wasn't myself. I was probably pretty awful."

"Hmm, he's a master of understatement," Roccetti muttered, smirking.

"Paolo, be polite," the lady doctor chided him, "It's fine, Mr. Nikiforov. I'm glad to see that you feel so much better now. We're happy we could help. And I'm pleased to tell you that the therapy for Yuuri's infection has been successful, and he can be discharged immediately."

"That's wonderful!" Victor sighed gratefully.

"He will need to rest and take care of himself, but I hear that he has family in Japan who have offered to spoil him silly?"

"Absolutely," Mari said, smiling.

"Well, that's just what the doctor, that is, me, orders," Collins laughed, "I will have Nurse Roccetti go over the release instructions with you, and then you are free to go."

"Not a moment too soon," Roccetti snickered, earning an arched eyebrow from the doctor that made him bite his lip and sigh, "Sorry."

"Then, you'll be leaving again," Nico said, taking Tora's hands, "I'm going to miss you, _Tigre_."

Victor glanced at Yuuri for a moment, then nodded in Nico's direction.

"It won't be for too long," he said, "if you intend to come to Saint Petersburg, Nico."

Nico's dark eyes lit excitedly.

"That soon?" he asked, "I can come to Saint Petersburg…?"

"As soon as we return from the NHK Trophy, I will arrange for your flight," Victor promised, "I will arrange for our practice sessions, and you will begin competing in the junior's division. You can continue to compete in singles as you wait for Tora to be old enough for the pairs competition. You and Tora should have a couple of years in the Juniors before you debut in the senior pairs division. Just be prepared. You are going to be working very hard, preparing for singles competitions while also building the skills for working in pairs skating. You will have ballet and special instruction in safe lifting technique, as well as weight training and acrobatics. You will both need to be very physically strong and have excellent stamina to excel as a pair when you debut. I will see to it that you have the best possible training, and you will give no less than your best in effort. Do you both understand?"

"I understand," Tora answered quickly, "I'll do whatever I have to so that Nico and I can skate together."

"And I'll give my best too," Nico vowed, "I'll do what it takes to make my coach proud."

"Good," Victor said approvingly, "That's what I like to hear!"

"All right," said Nurse Roccetti, as Doctor Collins took her leave, "now for the fun stuff. Mr. Nikiforov, we're not really discharging you, since you weren't actually admitted, but Doctor Collins has recommended that you refill your prescription for the medication she gave you, just at a lower dosage and that you reduce your usage as your needs decrease over the next month or so. Be sure to see your own doctor, should you experience any new or worsening symptoms and…try to stay off the sauce, honey. You know, it's not good for you and you don't want to have to detox again, right?"

He gave Victor a little wink.

"It's been a pleasure."

"R-right," Victor said, shaking his head.

Yuuri gave him a meaningful glare.

"Eh, thank you, Nurse Roccetti," Victor sighed.

"You're so welcome," Roccetti answered, a little too pleasantly, "And you, little sugar plum, need to continue to get lots of rest, eat well, take your antibiotic and pain meds as directed, and try to dodge those bullets a little better next time. If you have any new or worsening pain, rash around the site, swelling or anything else out of the ordinary, run, don't walk, to the nearest emergency room. We don't want you having another nasty infection like that last one, do we?"

"No," Yuuri chuckled, "we sure don't."

"Have a safe flight to Japan and send me one of those pork cutlet bowls you told me about!" the nurse laughed, "I'll send an orderly to wheel you out to the roundabout."

"Thank you, Nurse Roccetti," Yuuri said, smiling in amusement.

"Anything for you, gum drop," the nurse chuckled, heading out the door as Victor's jaw clenched and he barely hid an aggressive scowl.

"I'd like to _gum drop_ him off this damned building," he breathed softly.

"Did you say something?" Yuuri asked, eyeing him sternly.

"Me? No," Victor lied, "Just can't wait to get out of here and go to visit your family. I need some katsudon and a good, hot soak."

"Ah, me too!" Yuuri sighed.

"Well, come on, then," he said, slipping out of the bed and picking up Yuuri's robe to wrap it around him, "Let's go back to the hotel. You can rest there tonight, and we'll be on the flight to Japan before you know it."

"I can't wait to meet everyone there!" Tora said excitedly, "although…"

She looked at Nico, who smiled and gave her a warm, parting hug.

"I'll be seeing you soon in Saint Petersburg, _Tigre_ , but I'll miss you too."

Minako and Mari stood.

"Why don't you let us take Nico home and we'll bring Tora to the hotel. You guys can go and get settled in. We'll see you there in a little while. You want us to bring in dinner for all of us?"

"That would be great!" Yuuri sighed, "I'm so hungry!"

They watched as the others left, leaving the two of them alone in the hotel room. Victor turned Yuuri to face him and looked quietly into his dark eyes for a moment.

"You know," he said solemnly, "you don't have to forgive me, but I am sleeping next to you tonight. You scared me out of ten years life, Yuuri. Don't ever do that again."

"Well," Yuuri said, smirking, "maybe you shouldn't be irresponsible and get me shot, then I won't be mad at you."

He gave Victor a wink and hugged him tightly.

"It's okay. I forgive you. I miss you too much when we're quarreling, and Victor gets so sulky and rude to everyone!"

"I can't help it," Victor sighed, nuzzling Yuuri's cheek and closing his eyes, "Yuuri is my _solnyshko_. It's easy to get depressed when there's no light and no warmth."

"Cheer up, Victor," Yuuri urged him, giving him a little kiss and making his frowning lips smile again, "We're all right now. And soon, we'll be in Hasetsu. I know you always love being there."

"I do," Victor agreed, "Hasetsu is a very special place. It's where I first learned that there is more to life than training all of the time and competing. There are kind, wonderful people to get to know, delicious foods and drinks, and the best hot springs ever. I think that the time I spent with you in Hasetsu was the second best time in my life."

Yuuri looked at him curiously.

"Then, what is the best?"

Victor grinned.

"Having you come to live with me, of course!" he laughed, "What do you think?"

"And Tora too," Yuuri added.

"Tora too," Victor agreed, "I gave Yuuri my love, and Yuuri helped me to make a family. I will always be happy and grateful for that."

"Well, you loved me when I couldn't even love myself," Yuuri sighed, burrowing into his shoulder, "I'm so glad that you gave me your love."

"And I'm so glad you gave me yours, Yuuri. I don't know what I would do without you. That's why I get sulky and rude to everyone. It scares me to think of ever being without Yuuri's love again. It's so lonely."

"Victor always has my love," Yuuri promised, "even when I get mad. You don't have to worry about that."

"Okay," Victor said, nuzzling his cheek, "I'll try not to."

Yuuri smiled as the orderly arrived.

"Oh good! I'm ready to get out of here. I can't wait to get to Japan!"

"I feel the same," Victor said happily.

The two headed out to a waiting car that carried them out of the hospital roundabout and back in the direction of the hotel. A dark sedan, carrying their bodyguard followed, and a third car followed at a careful distance, its lone occupant favoring a bandaged arm and wearing an aggressive scowl.

"This isn't over, Victor," the driver whispered, "It won't be over until you loose your last, gasping breath."


	21. A Different Kind of Love

**Chapter 21: A Different Kind of Love**

 **XXX**

I was inspired to write this chapter after watching on YouTube, where someone had set an ice dance by Gabriella Papadakis and Guillarme Cizeron to the song "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. It's beautifully done and it made me cry to write the chapter while watching that performance and thinking of Victor looking back on the day that Victoria was conceived. So, warning, if you tear up at emotional stuff, bring tissues.

XXX

Victor gently tucked Yuuri into the bed in the master bedroom of their hotel suite, then he kissed his recovering partner on the forehead and smiled down at him.

"Is there anything you need, _solnyshko_?" he asked, "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

He gave Yuuri a cute smirk, then leaned him and whispered in his ear.

"Horny?"

"Victor!" Yuuri giggled, pushing him away playfully, "I just got out of the hospital."

"I was joking, of course," Victor said, ruffling his hair, "But really, is there anything at all I can do for you? I'm just so glad you're okay and that you're finally _awake_ , Yuuri. It was a nightmare, lying there, wondering if you were going to be all right."

Yuuri melted a little at the genuine concern in his lover's bright, affectionate eyes.

"I'm sorry I worried you," he answered, taking his husband's hand in his.

"You shouldn't apologize to me," Victor said, giving him a guilty look, "It's my fault that you've been hurt, and that your Grand Prix Series ended. I know I've already said it, but I feel really bad about all of this, Yuuri. I am trying to handle things better…you know, without drinking…but, it isn't easy."

"I know it's not," Yuuri acknowledged, "and I know you're doing your best."

Victor stole a hopeful glance at him, then sat down on the other side of the bed.

"Does that mean that you'll let me sleep next to you now?" he asked tentatively.

Yuuri hesitated, then he couldn't help laughing as Victor nuzzled into his shoulder, pleading piteously.

"Yuuri, I can't take another night of sleeping without you. I'm used to curling up with you. I can't sleep with just pillows anymore. I get no rest. And that sofa is so uncomfortable! I stopped drinking, even though it made me dog sick to do it. Don't you think that maybe I've suffered enough? What more can I do?"

"You don't have to do any more," Yuuri laughed, hugging him, "I forgive you already."

"Oh god!" Victor sighed, sagging against him, "Thank you, Yuuri. Thank you."

"Stop it!" Yuuri laughed, "You don't have to do that, Victor."

"Well, I should do something," Victor insisted, "because when we were married, we said _for better or for worse_ , but I've been giving you too much _worse_ lately. I want to give you more _better_ , so you tell me whatever it is that you want, and I will spoil you to within an inch of your life!"

"You don't have to spoil me," Yuuri giggled, "Just try not to drink and be good to Tora-chan and me and we'll call it even. You don't have to apologize anymore."

"Are you sure?" Victor asked, smirking, "If it was me, I would at least ask for something, you know. You could make me give you massages every day."

"You do that anyway."

"You could ask for sexual favors, Yuuri."

"Like you don't already give me enough of those!" Yuuri snickered.

"Well, you must want something," Victor persisted, "Just tell me one thing I can do, or maybe I will keep groveling at you all night."

"Oh my god," Yuuri laughed, "You're _impossible_! Fine. Fine, then if you want to do something," he said, taking Victor's smiling face in his hands, "Just…be who you are, Victor. That's all I really want."

Victor gave him a doubtful look.

"If that's what you want," he answered, pouting a little, "but I thought that me being myself is what got us into all of this mess to begin with."

"Yeah," Yuuri agreed, running his fingers through his husband's long, silvery bangs, "you're right about that. But even though some bad things have happened, there are some really good things too."

Victor's smile warmed.

"You mean Victoria?" he asked softly.

"Uh-huh," Yuuri affirmed, "Tora-chan is so beautiful. She has your beauty and she's smart and kind-hearted."

"She must have gotten that from her mother," Victor sighed, "And thank god the poor child isn't forgetful like me."

"She is reckless like you sometimes."

"Yes, poor child."

Victor bit his lip gently, studying Yuuri for a moment.

"What is it?" Yuuri asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Victor left the bed for a moment and walked to where his suitcase was in the closet. He opened it and removed a DVD that he loaded into their player that was hooked up to the television. An image of Victor's nineteen-year-old self, appeared on the screen, dressed in a lovely blue and silver costume Yuuri couldn't ever recall ever seeing before. Victor froze the picture with him waiting in a preparatory stance in a white spotlight on the ice.

"There's…something I want to show you," he explained, turning back to face Yuuri.

He walked to the bed and sat down at Yuuri's side.

"I haven't shown it to Tora. I…don't know what would be the right time."

Yuuri's eyes widened in reaction.

"I brought it on the trip with me, because I was trying to figure out the way to tell you and Tora that I had it. Tora's only lost her mother recently, and I didn't know if it would be good to show it to her, or if it would just upset her, you know."

Yuuri looked back at his husband silently, marveling at the presence of threatening tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Yuuri, I know that what I did back then was impulsive, and maybe it was wrong too. I was a different person. I was lonely because of the life I'd chosen. It was like…everyone was always looking at me, loving me, worshipping me. But not one of those people who did that…really seemed to _see_ me. And the day of that exhibition? The day this was made? The day that Tora was made? It was that day that I felt like, just for a moment, someone looked past the costumes, the music, the dramatic poses and jumps and spins, and she _saw me_. And, not only did Sage see me, she accepted me the way I was… _exactly_ as I was."

He paused for a moment, studying Yuuri's reaction carefully.

"Does it bother you to hear?" he asked tentatively.

Yuuri gave him a look of quiet approval.

"It's really fine," he assured his anxious partner, "You had a life before me, and I don't think you should have to apologize for that. And you shouldn't have to hide it or not talk about it. I can tell that this is important for you to be able to share this with me, so it's okay. Actually, I really want to see."

He paused, laughing half to himself.

"I used to pride myself on having every one of Victor's performances to look at, and to learn from," Yuuri added, "When you mentioned being in an exhibition with Sage, I realized that I didn't have that performance."

"It was a private function, so there wasn't television coverage. I only have it because I have every performance recorded by an assistant, mostly so I can replay it and criticize myself to death, so I do better and different things the next time. Anyway, I had this recorded at the venue, and I gave a copy to Tora's mother. Hers was with the few possessions Tora arrived with. This is Sage's copy. Can I show this to you, Yuuri?" Victor asked, looking at him hopefully.

"Go ahead," Yuuri said, taking Victor's hand, "I'd love to see it."

Victor nodded and used his free hand to touch the play button.

A soft, romantic tune began to play, and almost magically, a younger version of the woman Yuuri remembered as "Coach Max" appeared from behind Victor, wearing a stunning, fluttering brilliant red dress. She took a stance with Victor, and the two waited a beat together before they turned, then Victor used his momentum to push the young woman out in front of him. He caught up to her, and the two moved in skated dance steps together.

"Ice dancing was something that I really enjoyed," Victor confessed, "and I will be honest that, with the exception of you, I have never met a person with such a gift for reading her partner. You can see it, can't you?"

Yuuri watched raptly as the two broke away from each other to perform side-by-side pirouettes.

"I do," he affirmed, "You don't look like two people who met that day. You look like you must have skated together before."

"That was Sage's gift as a skater," Victor recalled, "It's why she was chosen to be my partner. I was unsure about the whole thing. I was neither an ice dancer nor was I used to skating with a partner, but the person running the exhibition had his ideas about what he wanted, and I needed to get the exposure, so Yakov pressured me to do the performance. I wasn't thrilled, but when I met Sage that day, I was so surprised by her, that I really had fun."

"It shows," Yuuri said, smiling as the performance on the screen continued, "You two look amazing."

"Thank you," Victor said gratefully.

On the screen, Victor turned and used his weight to throw Sage into a lovely jump, then the two went into side-by-side spins, before returning to a dance pose.

"After the performance and the dinner that followed, Sage and I ended up dancing together. We started to talk, and I knew I had never met someone who could see people as well as she did. I mean…even though she went right along with drinking with me, dancing with me…even going to bed with me, her eyes were wide open. She never asked me for anything more than that day, Yuuri. I'm sure part of it was that we were both young. I was lonely because no one saw me…and she wanted to be away from her father, who seemed to hover over everything she did. So, we went to my room. We laughed and talked, and we drank more. We got pretty silly and then we started kissing. We didn't make any promises. It's like we knew that neither one of us would be able to keep them. I was a rising star in the skating world, and she had an overprotective and scary father she was rebelling against. For that night, we were perfect for each other."

Victor went silent for a moment, watching as, on the screen, he lifted one foot and extended it behind him, skating backward, and he extended a hand towards Sage, who held the same position, skating forward. He froze the picture with the two of them that way and looked quietly at Yuuri.

"I know what it looks like from the outside," he confessed softly, "It looks like I was just a stupid, horny kid who took advantage of a foreign girl, because he could. It looks like I got her pregnant, and then abandoned both of them."

"I know that's not what happened," Yuuri said firmly.

"But, it's probably what everyone thinks," Victor insisted, his eyes misting warningly, "So, I feel awkward about sharing this."

"You don't have to feel awkward sharing anything with me," Yuuri assured him, "I love you, Victor, so if it hurts you that someone you cared about died, you can tell me that!"

Tears welled up instantly in Victor's eyes and he buried his face in Yuuri's shoulder, crying silently. For several minutes, he couldn't say a word, and Yuuri held him tightly, rubbing his back and running gentle fingers through his hair. Victor gathered himself, sniffing softly.

"That means a lot to me," he whispered, when he could make his voice sound again, "I'm sure most people couldn't understand me reacting so strongly to someone I only knew for a day. They'll think I callously used her and that I never cared about her or about the baby we made. But, I swear I don't feel that way at all, Yuuri. And if Sage had told me sooner about Tora, while it wouldn't have changed me being with you or wanting to have a life with you, I promise you, I would have wanted to know Tora. I would have wanted to be a father to her, in whatever way that Sage and I could have figured out together. I wish that she had been able to tell me, because it must have been such a burden to be alone and dealing with all of that. I admire Sage's strength so much!"

He sighed raggedly and lifted himself, wiping his eyes with the back of one hand.

"I don't know. Maybe she doubted my strength…and she wouldn't have been wrong to do that. I'm a disaster of a father."

Tears flooded his eyes again and he collapsed on Yuuri's shoulder.

"I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm scared to death that I'll fail her! I feel like I already have failed her, Yuuri."

"No, you haven't," Yuuri said reassuringly, "Victor, form the moment that little girl walked into the house, you've done your best, and you've been a really good, loving father!"

"I…wasn't even there when she arrived! I was off doing publicity. I came back and…you had already started to act like a parent to her. You were so good with her. I was glad you were there, because I felt so inadequate. And then, I read that letter in front of her and made her angry at you for something that wasn't your fault. I left her with you, knowing that she was still angry, and she got you arrested!"

"Yeah, but…"

"You got beat up because I didn't think that she might disobey you like that."

"How would you have known?"

"I knew not to drink, but when the stress got bad, I did it anyway. I am the reason you were shot, Yuuri. We both know it's because I got stressed out, I acted out, and you were the responsible one. You were the better parent…and you were the one who took a goddamned bullet to save her! It's so ironic to me. There's no way I deserve to be anyone's father. But…Tora is…right there. She is the spitting image of me as a child, and her future is in my very incapable hands now."

"Stop it!" Yuuri scolded him, taking Victor's face in his hands and glaring at him, "You're not a bad father. You're allowed to be human, to get stressed and not be perfect. That's why we have each other. You can depend on me."

"I know that," Victor said, sniffing, "and I promise that, from now on, I'll be a better partner, and a better father for her."

He looked back at the television, fighting off a fresh bout of tears.

"Sage did such a wonderful job of raising her to be a good, strong person. I want to respect that. I want her to have a future that would make her mother proud of all of us."

"Daddy?" said Tora's voice from where she stood, peeking in through the doorway.

Victor stiffened and swore softly in Russian. He kept his face turned away as he answered.

"What have I told you about eavesdropping?" he asked sternly.

"I wasn't eavesdropping!" Tora argued, "I…I heard you and it sounded like you were crying. I was scared."

"Sorry," Victor apologized, still looking away, "I shouldn't have snapped at you, but…"

"Is that…Mommy?" Tora asked, staring at the frozen image on the TV, "Mommy and you?"

Victor rubbed his eyes and turned to look back at her.

"Yes."

Tora's eyes rounded.

"It's your ice dance?" she asked wonderingly.

Victor nodded silently, watching as Tora moved close to the TV and traced Sage's smiling face with her fingertip.

"Can I watch it with you?"

Victor closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath.

"I…you can watch it, if you want, but…I don't know…"

"Are you worried you'll start crying again?" the little girl asked.

Victor gave Yuuri a helpless look and his partner gave him a firm nod.

"It's okay if you do," Tora told him, "I probably will too."

Reassured, Victor reset the DVD, then he and Yuuri sat on either side of Tora, on the end of the bed, and the three watched the performance together.

 _It's strange_ , Victor thought as he watched the ice dance with his daughter beside him, _With Yuuri and with Tora, I don't feel anymore like I'll be misunderstood. I won't be looked at as someone who just took advantage of Sage and left her to deal with everything. They know the truth, and really, that's what's most important to me. If the rest of the world misunderstands, I know they don't._

 _They know that for just that one perfect day, a long time ago, I love Sage Maxfield, and now?_

 _Tora is the living, breathing expression of that love._

 _Thank you, Sage._


	22. Viral Charm

**Chapter 22: Viral Charm**

Victor leaned over his open suitcase and paused, taking a last look at the DVD in his hand before slipping it into a safe pocket and zipping the pocket shut.

 _I wasn't sure if now was the right time to show the performance to Tora, but I know from what I saw in her eyes that she was glad to have this memory of her mother. Sage was such a beautiful dancer, on and off the ice. Seeing this again just…_

He smiled as Yuuri's arms curled around him, and he shut the suitcase and turned to face his smiling husband.

"Are you ready?" Yuuri asked, "It's almost time to go."

"I'm ready," Victor answered, meeting him for a kiss, "Is everyone else ready? I didn't think I was taking too long."

"You weren't," Yuuri assured him, "Tora and I were just talking about the video of her mom, and about the trip to Japan. She's really excited to meet my family."

"And she's probably wanting to try the…"

"Pork cutlet bowl," the two said together.

"I'm looking forward to living in the hot spring," Victor laughed.

" _You_ are going to be training for your competition," Yuuri said sternly, "and, by the way, Yakov called me when you didn't answer. He yelled at me and told me to pass the yelling on to you. He sounded like he was about to bust something."

"He gets a little impatient with me," Victor said, smirking, "but what does the man expect? We were delayed here by people trying to kill us and you were shot. Did he expect me to run off and leave you and Tora alone here? I don't think so."

"He complained that you need to stop chasing me all over to my competitions and get your, excuse me _, ass_ back to Saint Petersburg and train."

"Did Yakov forget that I am your coach?"

"I don't know," Yuuri sighed, "but I have almost no hearing left in my ear, after he got done with it."

"Sorry, Yuuri," Victor chuckled, "I'd suggest not answering next time. I can always mute or lower the volume on a message, so that's what I do."

"Seriously, you do need to practice. You know, you're not just competing in the NHK Trophy, you are performing in a competition while your daughter watches."

"I know that, Yuuri," Victor assured him, "and _you_ need to stop calling Tora just my daughter. She is our daughter, Yuuri."

"Oh, I know that," Yuuri laughed, "She asked me if I wanted her to keep calling me Yuuri-san when I'm her step-dad."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I like Yuuri-san, because it's what I'm used to hearing her call me."

"I like it too," Victor said approvingly.

The two headed out into the living area of the hotel suite and found Tora and their bodyguard at the door to the suite, talking to Detective Daniels and a flustered looking Nico.

"What's going on here?" Victor asked as the detective escorted the youth into the room, "I thought that Nico went home, and that you thought he would be fine when we left."

"I did think that," the lady detective explained, "but there's been a development that changes plans a little."

"Oh? How so?" the Russian skater asked curiously.

Detective Daniels picked up the television remote and turned the station to sports news. Victor, Tora and Yuuri made sounds of surprise as an image appeared on the screen of Victor performing a lift with Nico.

"What in the world?" Victor mused, "Who…?"

"It doesn't matter who," the detective said sternly, "I don't know what you thought you were doing by performing that routine with this boy…"

"I was trying to motivate him."

"Well, you _motivated someone_ to record the performance and post it online. It went viral, and now our young friend here is rumored to be Victor Nikiforov's new student. I won't repeat what else was being speculated, but the important part is that this boy is now on TV and reporters are bugging his family. Nico called me and told me about the situation, and I went and spoke to his parents. We decided that the safest thing for everyone was for Nico to go with you to Japan. If you're all in one place, you're easier for me to protect. I took care of getting his passport in order and getting him on the flight with you, so we're ready to go to the airport now."

"We're ready," Victor answered.

"Good," Antonia said approvingly, "My brother has too much influence, here in the USA, so the sooner you leave for Japan, the better."

Victor gave the lady detective a look of gratitude.

"Thank you, Antonia," he said, taking her hand, "Yuuri, Tora and I appreciate all of your help."

"Well, you should just hope that I am able to keep protecting you adequately. I don't want to worry you, but Kate…my brother, has dropped out of sight. I'm certain now that Kate was the one who attacked Tora and Nico in that park. He was hit by a bullet and probably had someone on his payroll treat the injury so that it wouldn't be reported to the police. I don't like the timing of his disappearance, or the fact that even his own people aren't sure where he is."

"Well, we know where he will probably be going," Victor speculated.

"Yes, but with a master of disguise and with him being aware that he is being sought, it's harder to catch him."

"That may be true," Victor acknowledged, "but I know you will find him and stop him."

"I will do my best," Antonia promised.

She followed the others down to a waiting car, watching as the suitcases were stowed in the trunk. Tora and Nico climbed into the sedan, followed by Victor and Yuuri. The car turned out, onto the street, heading for the airport. As they rode, Victor smirked at Nico.

"I guess you're leaving the USA sooner than expected. Are you sure that's all right with you? I mean, you didn't even get to really say goodbye."

"Well, it would have been nice to have time to think about it and say goodbye to my friends, but I didn't want to endanger my parents or friends or anything. And I was worried that with all of those reporters, someone could come and try to hurt us. If I go with you, they're not as likely to try anything. At least, that's what Detective Daniels says."

"Mmhmm," Victor mused skeptically, "and I am sure that you are in no hurry at all to get to Russia and start training with Tolenka?"

"Victor!" Yuuri snapped, hitting his husband on the arm, "Stop it."

"It was just a little joke."

"Well, it's not funny. Don't tease Nico."

Victor frowned.

"You certainly are suddenly protective of the boy, aren't you?"

"Well, you're being a jackass, teasing him like that."

"It's okay," Nico said, blushing slightly, "I think Tolenka is cute."

Victor snorted.

"He may be cute, but Tolenka is a cocky little shit," he said, matter-of-factly.

"Victor!" Yuuri snapped.

"Well, he is," Victor insisted, "And if our new son is going to be going after him, I have to make sure that Nico doesn't make the mistake of letting that little bastard push him around."

"Oh my god," Yuuri complained, rolling his eyes, "Here we go…"

"Now, I've known Tolenka for awhile," Victor said, "and I promise you, I am going to help you knock that boy off his feet!"

Nico and Tora laughed, but Yuuri shot his husband a nasty look.

"When we get to Saint Petersburg, I will teach you everything I know about seduction," Victor promised, "That little idiot won't know what hit him!"

"You do know that these are minors?" Yuuri sighed.

"I'm not telling him to have sex," Victor said in an offended tone, "I am telling him how to make sure that when he lures Tolenka into his little web, Nico will be in charge. He won't get pushed around. You don't want our son to get pushed around, do you, Yuuri?"

"Well, of course not…erm…but, he's not really our son."

"He might as well be," Victor said, shrugging, "With that video of him and me going viral, he's going to be so popular that he'll be as hounded by the press and fans as we are."

"Yeah," Yuuri said, crossing his arms, "I think we need to have a talk about all of this when we get to Japan and have some privacy to talk."

"What?" Victor said defensively, "Yuuri, I thought you forgave me for everything. Now, you're mad at me again? You weren't that mad about me ice dancing with Nico before. I did plenty of other things that made you more mad than that."

"Gah! I know!" Yuuri groaned, "and I did forgive you, but that was before the video ended up everywhere and now there are people actually thinking you would dump me for a fourteen-year-old boy!"

"I would never do that," Victor laughed, "You know I never would!"

"Of course I know that!" Yuuri said heatedly, his face reddening with anger, "That's not the point. The point is that you need to stop riling everything!"

"Riling things? You call me having a private ice dance with someone _riling_ things?" Victor asked.

"The last time he did a private ice dance, my mom had me," Tora snickered.

"Young lady, that is not appropriate!" Victor said sternly.

"That's great, coming from you," Yuuri huffed, "and more than a little hypocritical, don't you think?"

"Calm down, Yuuri," Victor chided him, "After a few weeks of us being in Japan, the uproar will wind down and things will go back to normal."

"You'd better hope so," Yuuri said, scowling, "otherwise, you're going to be sleeping on the couch again."

"Yuuri, don't say that!" Victor pleaded, "I just got back to sleeping in our bed. I'm not going back on the couch."

"You will if you tease Nico anymore or say anymore inappropriate things!"

"Okay, okay, I'll behave," Victor promised.

"You'd better."

Victor waited until his head turned away, then he gave Tora and Nico a little wink

Tora grinned.

"I'm glad you're coming with us, Nico," she said happily, "You're going to get to meet Yuuri-san's family! And we get to go to the hot spring and to Ice Castle Hasetsu. It's going to be so much fun!"

"I've never been to Japan," Nico said excitedly, "I've never really been much of anywhere."

"Well, you're going to be going places now," Victor said firmly, "We'll get started working on your programs for the next skating season. If you're going to show Tolenka up on the ice, then you need to be ready. Given what I saw when we did that ice dance, I have some ideas about what to put into the program. You're going to be working very hard."

"Yeah, Victor's a pretty demanding coach," Yuuri acknowledged, "but he's also very good at bringing out the best in his student."

Victor smiled.

"Thank you, Yuuri."

"Just be aware, he's not so good about emotional things. In fact, he's kind of clueless there."

"Yuuri!"

"Well, you are."

"That's really not nice."

"But it's true," Yuuri persisted, "So, if you need to talk about serious things, even things not related to skating, you can always ask me. I'll be happy to help."

He gave Victor a scathing glance.

"I mean _really_ help."

The group quieted as the sedan pulled into the airport roundabout and rolled up to the curb. They exited the car and headed to the ticket counter, then they checked their bags, passed through security and went to their gate. A short time later, they headed onto the plane and took their seats. Tora and Nico watched out the window excitedly as the plane sped down the runway and lifted off the ground.

Yuuri watched the ground fall away, and he sighed a little in relief. Victor gave him a sympathetic look.

"Are you all right?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah," Yuuri acknowledged, "I'm just still disappointed that I can't compete until nationals. I was really looking forward to the competitions."

"Me too," Victor agreed, "It won't be the same without you."

Yuuri gave him a look of mock sternness.

"Just don't think you can get lazy and not practice as much because I'm not there to challenge you. Yurio is in this too, and he won his first event. If you aren't careful, he could beat you."

"Perish the thought," Victor laughed, "Yuuri, I'm not going to let Yurio beat me."

"He will if you get careless."

"Well, I won't get careless."

"You promise? I don't want Tora to have come all this way to watch her father and have him not do his best."

"I will do my best, Yuuri," Victor said with perfect seriousness, "I am going to whip that little upstart's ass."

"Good," Yuuri said, leaning over to kiss him, "At least I won't get bored watching that."

The four settled as the plane cruised through the sky, carrying them on the long trip to Japan. They touched down shortly before sunset, and as they deplaned, Minako and Mari were there to greet them.

"We got here just ahead of you," Minako informed them.

"And look who else we found here," Mari said, smiling as Maccachin raced out from behind her, barking and wagging his tail madly, "Yakov sent him over."

"Maccachin!" Victor called out happily.

He dropped to one knee and hugged the old dog, then laughed as Maccachin raced around to greet the others.

"Well, if everyone's here, we ought to go on home," Minako urged them.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Victor said excitedly, "I can't wait to have a soak in the hot spring!"

"Me too!" Tora shouted.

"And pork cutlet bowls!" Victor added.

He noticed Yuuri stealing a questioning glance at him, and he smiled.

"It's fine, Yuuri. You got hurt saving Tora, so even though you can't win any competitions until Nationals, I'll let you have a pork cutlet bowl too."

"Okay!" Yuuri said, recovering his smile.

A short time later, the group arrived at Yuutopia Katsuki and entered through the front doors to find Hiroko and Toshiya waiting to greet them.

"Welcome home, Yuuri! Welcome home, Vic-chan!" they said, smiling widely.

Hiroko moved closer to Tora and Nico, and she paused to study the girl's pretty, silvery hair and bright, happy eyes.

"Oh, and you must be Vic-chan's Tora!" she said, bowing, "So pleased to finally meet you, Tora-chan! Come in. Come in. We're about to have dinner."


	23. Hot Springs and Katsudon

**Chapter 23: Hot Springs and Katsudon**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **(AN**The song that inspired the end of the chapter is "Firecracker" by Josh Turner. If you listen to it while you read the end, you will understand and probably ROFL as hard as I did.**

 **Also, I apologize in advance for any mistakes in my use of Japanese in the beginning. I'm not a native speaker, and Japanese has lots of little customs and usages that can be confusing, so be gentle. Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Tora-chan, please come closer," Hiroko invited the widely smiling girl, "Let us look at you. We've heard so much about you when Yuuri calls home."

Tora blushed, but stepped forward and bowed as Yuuri had shown her.

" _Konbanwa_ , _Obaasan. Konbanwa, Ojiisan,_ " she greeted them.

" _Konbanwa_ , Tora-chan!" Hiroko laughed, "Welcome. We are so happy to meet you!"

"It's great to meet you too," Tora answered, "Daddy's told me all about how nice you are and what a wonderful place Hasetsu is."

She touched Nico's arm and looked back at Hiroko again.

"This is my best friend, Nico Palomo. He's going to be Daddy's student."

" _Konbanwa,"_ Nico said, bowing politely.

" _Konbanwa_ ," Toshiya answered, "We'd heard about you, of course, from the viral video."

Nico blushed brightly.

"News travels fast," Victor whispered to Yuuri, who scowled back at him.

"Welcome, Nic-chan!" Hiroko said warmly, "We are so happy to meet you also!"

"I'm sure you're all hungry, so while you go and soak in the hot springs, we will whip up some pork cutlet bowls to celebrate," Toshiya offered.

"Oh boy!" Tora said excitedly, "Yuuri-san has made them for us at home, but he always says that the ones here are the best anywhere!"

"That's for sure," Victor agreed, "Yuuri and I try and try, but there is just something very special about the ones made here."

"We'll get to work on those right away," said Hiroko, "Go on, now and relax in the hot springs. Nic-chan, you can join the boys, and Tora-chan, why don't you go along with Mari and Minako?"

"Um…well, I uh…" Nico stammered, blushing.

"Go on," Tora urged him, "It's fine. It's what everyone does here. It's all right."

"But, uh…"

"Come on," Victor laughed, taking the flustered youth's hand, "you'll love this."

"D-don't you want to be in with just Mr. Katsuki?" Nico asked, his flush darkening, "I can just wait out here or help or something."

"Nonsense," Victor said, dragging him along, "We'll have a nice, restful soak. I can even take a picture for you to send back to all of your friends in the USA."

Nico's eyes rounded and he blanched.

"We _don't allow_ pictures to be taken in the hot springs," Yuuri said crossly, "Victor, you know that. Stop teasing Nico, or I won't soak with you either."

"I was just kidding!" Victor snickered playfully, "I didn't mean it."

"Yeah, right," Yuuri sighed, "For Nico's comfort, we can wear wraps."

"Wr-wraps?" Nico repeated uncertainly.

"A little towel around the waist," Yuuri explained, "Some guests prefer them to being completely naked."

"But, I like to soak naked!" Victor objected, "Yuuri…"

"You're upsetting our guest!" Yuuri snapped angrily, "Say another word, and I am not going to soak with you at all, _and_ you will sleep on the couch."

"All right, all right," Victor said, holding up his hands, "I give in. I'll wear a wrap, so Nico doesn't faint from embarrassment."

"I'm not embarrassed!" Nico complained, "I just…we don't do that, so I wasn't expecting it. That's all. If that's how it's done here, I…I'll do it."

"You don't have to," Yuuri said kindly.

"Oh, let him make up his own…"

"Victor…" Yuuri warned him, stopping him and making him slap a hand over his mouth.

"Sorry," Victor mumbled under his hand.

"Really, it's fine," Nico said as they reached the dressing room, "We're in Japan, and I really want to learn about how everything is done here. After all, Yuuri-san is my best friend's step father now, so I want to know more about him."

"Well, thank you," Yuuri chuckled, "But really, don't feel like you have to conform. We understand if our customs are different, and it's okay to gently refuse."

Nico started to answer, but his throat tightened and only a squeak came out as Victor slipped off his shirt and started to take hold of his pants at the waist. Noticing his distress, Yuuri turned him away, and he answered firmly.

"We will use the wraps."

 _Killjoy_ , Victor mouthed petulantly, as he removed his pants and placed the wrap around his waist.

"Victor, why don't you get started?" Yuuri suggested, glancing at Nico, who seemed to be agonizing over even removing his shirt.

"Sure," the smirking Russian answered easily.

Yuuri waited until he was gone, then he handed Nico a wrap.

"You don't need to be embarrassed. People in Japan are so conditioned that they politely ignore nudity in the hot springs. You will get used to it too, Nico-chan."

"Yeah?" Nico said anxiously, "well, Victor isn't Japanese, is he? He'll probably tease me, won't he? I mean, Victor is beautiful, like you. I'm just…"

Yuuri smiled warmly.

"Victor won't dare insult me by teasing you now," he promised, "He's way too much wanting to avoid having to sleep on the couch. He will behave, or I will make him pay for annoying you."

"Okay," Nico said, relaxing slightly.

Yuuri nodded affirmatively.

"And Nico-chan doesn't need to worry at all about his own body. You are a young man, an athlete, who obviously cares about his body and maintains it well."

Nico looked at him hopefully.

"I do take care of myself," he replied, removing his shirt, "I have to if I want to be a good skater."

"That's right," Yuuri said approvingly, "So, you have nothing to worry about when you are around other people. Especially, now that you are Victor's student, you should feel confident in front of other people."

"Oh, I'm not that shy, I guess," the youth answered hastily, "I just…Victor is…"

He paused, struggling to find the right words. Yuuri continued to smile comfortingly, and touched his arm lightly with a bracing hand.

"Victor is beautiful," he said calmly, "He is confident and his is adored by so many people. It can be unnerving to be near someone like that, who shines so brightly in front of everyone. I've felt that way, myself."

Nico gave him a look of surprise.

"You? But you are…?"

"I am a person," Yuuri said firmly, "You are a person. Victor is a person."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Victor likes to fluster you, because he is sometimes an idiot. Ignore him. If he annoys you, I will make sure he is sorry for it."

Nico let out a soft, grateful laugh.

"Thank you, Yuuri-san," he said, smiling back at the Japanese skater.

The two finished changing, then entered the hot spring area, where Victor was already sunk up to his neck in the steamy water.

"Get in here. It feels really good!" he sighed happily, "I so needed this."

Yuuri claimed a spot beside his contented husband, while Nico entered the hot spring more gradually, a short distance away from the two.

"You have well defined muscles," Victor noted, earning a stern look from Yuuri, "What? I was wondering if he does weight training. I am his coach. I need to know, so I know what to provide him with in Russia when we go back."

"I do weight training twice a week," Nico answered, "I also train in martial arts, kickboxing and ballet. I'm used to going for a run every morning."

"Good," Victor said, nodding approvingly, "When we get to Saint Petersburg, you will get up with me and run with me in the morning. Just a warning, though, it's freezing there a lot of the time. I think you're used to it being warmer."

"I live in Detroit," Nico said, shrugging, "It is cold in the winter."

Victor and Yuuri exchanged knowing glances.

"Saint Petersburg can get even colder, so you will need to take your cue from me on how to dress for that."

"Okay, no problem."

"You also need to know that when we're in Russia, you have to act differently than you may be used to," Victor went on.

"You mean, I shouldn't always say what I think?" Nico inquired, "I know about that. I've been to a couple of competitions in Russia and other places."

"Living in Russia will be different," Victor informed him, "I want you to be especially careful of any public displays of affection with other males. While Saint Petersburg is a more liberal city, there are those in law enforcement and government who do not approve. If you form a homosexual relationship, be sure to keep it private."

"Says the man who tackled and kissed me on national sports TV," Yuuri sighed.

"I didn't say that the boy should follow my example," Victor argued, "I acted on impulse, and when Yuuri moved to Saint Petersburg, the authorities did interview both of us to explain their expectations that we would keep any relationship private. Our marriage is not legal in Russia or Japan, and Yuuri and I are careful not to do anything to attract attention."

"Except ice dances with younger guys that go viral," Yuuri pointed out, arching an eyebrow.

"For the last time, I was challenging Nico to take a different perspective and to push himself. I didn't know that anyone would just record us like that and post it."

"That's how you ended up dropping everything and coming to Hasetsu," Yuuri answered, "I think these days, you have to pretty much expect that there's always someone around with a smartphone, just waiting to pull it out and record what you don't want anyone to see."

"Although, it was a lovely performance," Victor complimented the youth, "You certainly won my respect."

"And about 5 million likes," Nico giggled, "but that was probably just because you were in it too."

"Don't worry about it," Victor said, shrugging, "When I'm through with you, you'll be getting that many likes in videos all by yourself."

Nico's face lit hopefully.

"You…really think I can be that good?" he asked.

"No," Victor said firmly, "I think you can do _better_."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, what trouble do you think Victor is causing with your cute skating partner?" Mari snickered.

"He is a good looking boy," Minako added, "He's going to be popular, and so are you. I heard Victor say that he'd been contacted by several magazines wanting to do stories on you and Nico."

"Really?" Tora asked, her eyes widening, "He didn't tell us that."

The two women exchanged curious glances.

"Well, maybe he's being protective," Minako suggested, "or maybe we just ruined a surprise he was planning for you."

"Huh, he probably should have been more protective of Nico," Mari said dryly, "instead of showing off with him and getting him so much social media attention. I heard how he had to just pack up and come with you. What was Victor thinking?"

"Well, Daddy didn't know that anyone would be recording them or anything," Tora explained.

"Social media has really changed things," Minako commented, "I guess it's not exactly Victor's fault, but seriously, what the hell was he doing, making that boy dance a girl's part in an ice dance?"

"He said that he was challenging Nico to prove himself worthy to be my partner," Tora said, blushing, "I kind of think it was more that Daddy at first thought that Nico wanted to be my boyfriend. But, even when he found out that Nico was gay, he was still kind of mean to him, which is part of why he was sleeping on the couch most of the time we were in the USA. Well, that and Yuuri-san blamed him for getting drunk and making me upset, so I ran off and Yuuri-san got shot protecting me and Nico."

"Yuuri made him sleep on the couch, huh?" Minako laughed, "Good for him. Victor doesn't think sometimes, as that viral video shows. His fault or not, poor Nico is now part of the Nikiforov-Katsuki bunch."

"And we can get more than a little crazy," Mari agreed.

"I asked Nico if he was really okay, coming to live with us and training in Saint Petersburg," Tora said.

"Oh? And what did he say?" asked Minako.

Tora's smile deepened.

"He said that he never dreamed that he would train with Victor Nikiforov at the same place that Victor trains. It's scary for him, but it's what he wants."

Tora giggled.

"Especially since he heard that Tolenka Varushkin is going to be his rinkmate!" she added enthusiastically.

"O-oh!" the two elder ladies said together.

"So," said Minako, "that's what he's after."

Tora frowned.

"Who did you think Nico was after?" she asked, looking from Mari to Minako and reading their expressions.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Nico may think my dad is beautiful, but it's just a silly kind of crush. He _really_ likes Tolenka. I know he's just dying to meet him in person."

"Wish we could be there to see that," Mari laughed.

"Daddy says that he's going to make sure that Nico does a good job of getting Tolenka's attention, but Yuuri-san keeps scolding him not to interfere."

"Well, Victor does have lots of experience getting people's attention," Minako mused, "Still, he's pretty reckless. Better be sure all of Victor's advice has Yuuri's approval."

"Yuuri-san keeps threatening to make Daddy sleep on the couch if he teases Nico, so I think he'll be careful."

"Let's hope," Mari said, glancing at the clock on the wall of the ladies hot spring room, "Hey, it's about time for us to get out and have some dinner. You must be hungry, ne, Tora-chan?"

"I'm starved," Tora admitted, following Mari and Minako to the edge of the pool and exiting.

They headed into the ladies dressing area and quickly put their clothes back on, then they headed to the dining room, where Toshiya, Victor, Yuuri and Nico already sat at the table. They rose to greet the ladies, then the group sat down at the table as Hiroko and Mari brought trays of steaming pork cutlet bowls and set them out around the table.

"Oh, it's been so long since I had one of these!" Victor said excitedly, his blue eyes bright as he dove into his food.

"It smells so good!" Nico exclaimed, taking a bite and making a sound of wonder, "It's just like your dad said.

"It's _amazing_!" Tora shouted, forgetting her manners as the delicious food seemed to melt in her mouth, "I've never tasted anything this good before. It's wonderful!"

"I can't seem to slow down," Nico managed between large bites.

"It's perfect," Yuuri said happily, "This is just what I needed."

The happy group devoured the katsudon in record time, then talked for awhile, before indulging in sweets for dessert. Tora waited until the grown ups were occupied with talking, then she touched Nico's arm, and the two slipped away from the table.

"What's up, Tigre?" Nico asked.

"I want to show you something," Tora explained, leading him to a bedroom door, then opening it so that they could step inside.

She found her father's suitcase and started to open it.

"Should you really do that?" Nico whispered, "What is there are…things in there he doesn't want disturbed?"

"Eh, like what? Clothes?"

She read her friend's expression and laughed as she found the DVD.

"He doesn't have anything bad in there."

"What? Did you look?" Nico asked, smirking.

"No!" Tora snapped, "I just wanted this."

She loaded it into the DVD player in the room and started it. Nico's eyes widened as he took in the image of Victor and Sage taking their places and beginning their ice dance.

"It's my mom and dad together," Tora said, smiling adoringly, "It's the only time they were ever together, and it's the day they made me."

Nico's eyes softened, and he slipped an arm around Tora as the two watched.

"They're really beautiful together, skating like that," Nico breathed softly, "Wow…"

"I'm glad Daddy showed it to me," Tora said, her eyes tearing slightly, "I was kind of sad that there were no pictures or anything, because of my mom's father. Mom was worried that her father would hurt my daddy. But…it's nice to have this."

"It's awesome, Tora," Nico said, hugging her, "It's really beautiful."

The two watched as the ice dance ended, and Tora started towards the player to remove the DVD. But just as she was about to touch the stop button, the image changed to one of Victor and Sage, dressed in delightfully garish cowboy and cowgirl costumes and taking a much more sensuous pose.

"What the…?" Tora mused.

"What is that?" Nico mused, staring.

"Are they…drunk or something?" Tora pondered, watching and growing a helpless grin as an equally suggestive country song began to play.

"They can't be drunk and dance like that," Nico observed, "Someone could get killed. Oh my god, did you see that lift?"

Tora blushed as the moves became even more suggestive. She squeaked and covered her face, but then peeked through her fingers. Nico, too, was equally affected.

"I don't think we were supposed to see this," he commented.

"I wonder if Daddy knows it's there," Tora wondered aloud, "He didn't mention it to me."

The two exchanged glances that became devilish grins.

"I know what we should do," Tora laughed, "I know how we can get back at my dad for doing that viral video dance with you."

"Huh?" Nico said, blinking, "What do you mean?"

"Quick! We need to make a copy of this!"


	24. World Stage

**Chapter 24: World Stage**

Victor stood naked in the preparation area of the ice rink where the NHK Trophy was moments from getting underway. He applied a generous amount of shimmering spray to his exposed flesh and to his hair, then he donned his costume, dark navy pants, a dark teal silken shirt with long sleeves and fluttering ends on the cuffs, and a dark navy vest with bits of dark teal material woven in.

"You look great!" Yuuri complimented him, giving him a slightly envious look, "I wish I was going to be competing with you."

"I wish that also," Victor assured him, "I know I've said it already, but I'll say it again. I am so sorry that I…"

"You don't have to say that," Yuuri chided him, giving him a hug and a warm kiss on the mouth, "Just go out there and kick J.J. and Chris's butts, okay? Watch out for J.J. He's having a really strong season."

Victor gave a little, dismissive snort.

"Strong season or not, I'm still the better skater," he said firmly, "I am going to beat him."

"I know you will," Yuuri agreed, "I'm going to go out and sit with Tora and Nico."

"Love you, Yuuri," Victor said, stealing a last kiss.

"Love you too," Yuuri answered, "Kill them out there, okay?"

"I will."

Victor watched as Yuuri left, then he turned his attention to Yakov, who watched as he warmed up and stretched his muscles carefully. He moved slowly through the motions of his program, practicing the arm movements, remaining focused as the sounds of the other skaters' music and intermittent applause reached them.

"Keep your focus and don't get lazy in the second half," Yakov warned him, "J.J. has been scoring higher with each performance this year. He is growing in ability."

"And still, it hasn't caught up with his swagger," Victor sighed, "I wish Yuuri or Yurio was going to be in this. That, at least, would get me motivated."

"Huh," Yakov huffed, "Well, how is this for motivated? J.J.'s score is high enough that if you get lazy in the second half like I told you not to, he could take the early lead."

"And if he does, he will lose it in the free skate," Victor said matter-of-factly, "I told you, he is not going to beat me. I am performing in front of my daughter for the first time, and I will be damned if I'm going to disappoint her."

"Just you don't disappoint _me_!" Yakov snapped at him, "I don't care what score you earn, you go out there and give a performance worthy of the thousands of people here supporting you. I don't want to hear about your issues, your daughter or anything else but that you are going to make it worth the hours of my life I give up coaching you!"

"Well, there weren't too many of those, since I've been away so much lately," Victor clucked cheerfully.

"IDIOT!" Yakov seethed, swatting at him as Victor danced away gracefully, "Get serious, Victor!"

"Oh, I'm serious," Victor said, his eyes narrowing as he slipped on a pair of navy colored gloves to match his ensemble, "I will be out for blood."

"You'd better be," Yakov warned him as the two headed out to the ice.

Victor waited calmly at the edge of the rink as Chris Giacometti swept off and gave him a wide smile.

"Victor! It's been ages!" Chris crooned, running his fingers through his hair, "You're looking good. I hear you're a daddy now?"

"Yes," Victor affirmed, pointing to where Nico and Tora waited and watched from the stands, "She's right up there."

"Well, I hope you have bodyguards for everyone, because after what I heard, you're going to need them."

"What do you mean?" Victor asked, frowning.

Chris started to answer, but was interrupted as a voice came over the loudspeaker to announce the scores.

"Get over here!" Chris's coach exclaimed.

"Sorry, got to go," Chris snickered, "Good luck out there today."

"Thank you," Victor said, nodding in acknowledgement as he stepped onto the ice.

He skated out to center ice and turned in a slow circle, smiling and waving to his roaring fans. He glanced up at Tora, giving her a wink, before settling into his ready position.

As the music began, he rotated backwards, gaining speed and moving in a series of graceful arcs, changing direction, then rising up, into a perfectly executed quadruple lutz. As he landed, he headed into a series of fast, dancing steps with extended arms. He turned and jumped into a lovely sit spin, then lifted himself for the rest of the combination. Coming out of the spin, he couldn't help but notice that several reporters seemed to have headed up to where Tora and Nico watched, alongside Yuuri.

 _Yuuri will take care of it._

 _And if not, the guards will._

He moved into a three turn, then leapt into a quad flip, triple toe loop combination, earning enthusiastic applause from the crowd. The sound intensified as he performed a sensuous step sequence, then finished with a lovely triple axel and a final combination spin. The music ended and the crowd went wild, clapping loudly and cheering as Victor smiled and waved. He skated to the kiss and cry, where he gave Yakov a smug look and sat down, accepting a bottle of water with a grin.

"Well, whatever anyone has to say about his behavior off the ice," the announcer said, making the smile on Victor's face fade, "Victor Nikiforov delivers a performance worthy of his long standing reputation as a world class skater."

 _What was that about?_ he wondered.

He watched as the scores appeared, leaving him well ahead of most of the field, but scant points ahead of J.J.

"Victor's score puts him in the first place position, going into the free skate, but J.J. is well positioned to challenge him."

"This is going to come down to matters of detail in the free skate," said a second announcer, "J.J. has a lot of big, impressive moves, but Victor has years of experience finding the weaknesses in his competition and turning in compelling performances to win in the end."

"This will be exciting! And now, we go to Jana, who is in the stands with Victor's student, Yuuri Katsuki, who is sitting out this Grand Prix Series, due to an injury he suffered before the Skate America competition in Detroit. Jana?"

Victor hurried out of the kiss and cry, and changed out of his skates, then he headed into the stands, where the reporter had cornered Yuuri and the two younger skaters in their row of seats.

"Yuuri, very little has been said about just what kind of injury you suffered, and how it happened. Can you give us any additional news about that?"

"Eh, it's an injury to my shoulder."

"How did you get it?"

"How long will it take to heal?"

One of the reporters spotted Tora and Nico behind the flustered Japanese skater.

"Is that Nico Palomo? Victor's new protégé?" he asked.

The other reporters moved in closer, noticing Tora, who burrowed into Nico's shoulder.

"Is that Victor's love child?"

"Is it true that Victoria Maxfield is going to be a skater too?"

"Can we get a picture of all of you together?"

"Excuse me," Victor said, stepping into the cluster of reporters, "my students and my daughter will not be answering any questions right now. Our focus is on the current competition."

"Is it true that your student, Yuuri Katsuki was arrested for disorderly conduct in Saint Petersburg? Is that the real reason he's not competing?"

"No," Victor said firmly, "Yuuri has a shoulder injury that he sustained in Detroit, and he is going to be out of the Grand Prix Series competition. He will be returning in time for the Japanese Nationals."

"Mr. Nikiforov!"

"I am sorry, but we will not be answering any more questions," Victor said, taking Yuuri's hand and motioning for Tora and Nico to join them.

Sava stepped in between the family and the reporters, holding up his hands in a staying gesture.

"Sorry, folks. Mr. Nikiforov and his group have to leave now. Please give them room to get by."

Tora rushed to Victor and buried her face in his side as cameras flashed all around them and the reporters continued to fire off questions. They managed to exit the building and climbed into a waiting car that carried them back in the direction of the Hiroshima hotel where they were staying during the competition. Victor plucked Tora out from under his arm as soon as they were in the car, and he sighed apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Tora. I didn't realize that there would be this much interest in all of us. I haven't made a public announcement about you being my daughter yet. We're going to be doing an interview with newscaster Morooka in the morning, and I was planning on introducing you and Nico then."

"It didn't occur to you that the viral video would make the reporters go crazy on all of us the minute they saw us?" Yuuri asked, crossing his arms.

"Oh god, you're not mad at me for something else now?" Victor complained, "I can't help that someone videotaped me ice dancing with the boy and it went viral! How can you keep blaming me for that?"

"They were also asking a lot of questions about Tora," Yuuri said crossly, "They scared her."

"I know that," Victor acknowledged, "and I will make sure that Tora is prepared in the future. I've been dealing with reporters from a very young age. I managed it, and Tora and Nico can manage it too. Yuuri, you know that press is a part of figure skating that all of us have to learn to deal with. I admit I should have done a better job of preparing Tora and Nico, but it's nothing we can't fix. Now, let's get back to the hotel and get something to eat. I don't know about all of you, but after that competition, I'm starving."

"If I were you, I'd be thinking less about eating and more about the fact that J.J. is only a few points behind you," Yuuri muttered.

"I'm not going to let J.J. beat me in front of my daughter," Victor chuckled, giving Tora a hug, "You don't think that silly J.J. is going to beat me, do you, Tora?"

"No way!" Tora laughed, recovering some of her humor, now that the tension caused by the reporters had passed.

The conversation shifted to talking about where to eat as the car carried the four back to the hotel, where Victor showered and changed, then the family headed out to a nearby restaurant.

"This place is great," Victor gushed happily, "They make everything right at your table, and when you're done, there's a dance area too!"

"I'm surprised you have enough energy for that," Yuuri commented, "Shouldn't you be resting up for tomorrow?"

"Yuuri, stop worrying so much," Victor chided him, "I will have plenty of energy for tomorrow. You know, since I stopped drinking, my stamina has been a lot better. I'm going to kill J.J. tomorrow. Have a little faith in me, okay?"

"I do," Yuuri sighed, "I just…"

"Trust me," Victor said, all levity leaving his expression, "I am going to win tomorrow. That's not what's bothering you, really, is it?"

"Yeah…no," Yuuri sputtered indecisively, "I guess I'm just stressed out because I can't compete, and I'm twenty-six now…"

"And I'm thirty years old," Victor acknowledged, "So what?"

"So, we're getting closer to when all of this is going to end, you know? Eventually, we're going to retire, and…"

"And we'll open a skating school and teach the next generation of great skaters," Victor finished, "Yuuri, we've known all along that we wouldn't be skating professionally forever. That's not the most important thing. What is important is that our life together is not just about skating anymore. Look what we have, right here!"

Yuuri went quiet, his eyes watching as Victor, Tora and Nico talked and laughed while they all ate dinner, then Victor and Tora turned the heads of everyone in the restaurant as they danced together.

 _Victor's right. I shouldn't let this setback bother me so much. We have each other, and even when we're not skating, we have so much fun together. We have plans for when our skating careers are over. I guess I just feel sad, because I love to see Victor skate._

 _Still, I love to see this too…Victor and Tora smiling and laughing, dancing together and enjoying life. They're so beautiful together. I wish I could know what that's like._

He stopped the thought abruptly.

 _I'm being ridiculous._

 _Just because Tora and I are not biologically related doesn't make her any less my daughter too. That part doesn't matter. I'm not replacing Tora's mother, but I have my own place in her life now. The way things are is good. I have to stop being silly and enjoy what I have right here._

He left the table and joined Victor and Tora on the dance floor for one dance, then Nico stole Tora away and Yuuri took Victor's hand and danced with his beautiful husband until both were left breathless.

"Victor!" Yuuri panted, "We should stop. You won't ha-have any energy left for your free skate tomorrow."

"Okay, okay," Victor laughed, his chest heaving, "but the next dance is slow. It'll help us cool down."

He pulled Yuuri close, and the Japanese skater's eyes softened as he rested his head on Victor's shoulder, catching his breath and enjoying his partner's pleasant warmth.

 _This is the happiest I've seen Victor in a long time. Things have been so stressful, with Tora appearing out of nowhere, and Sage's brother coming after us. I do wonder how safe we really are._

Yuuri shivered as his mind replayed the confrontation in the park in Detroit.

 _He ran through the dark, skeletal trees, his mind still reeling at finding Maret's collapsed body on the ground. He only wondered if that meant that Tora was already in their stalker's hands, and it was too late. He slowed at the sound of voices ahead of him, and he was careful to keep to the brush. His heart pounded viciously in his chest as he spotted Tora standing in the clearing ahead of him, facing a hooded person who held Nico against him, and pointed a gun to the youth's head, threatening him._

" _What do I do?" Yuuri whispered, shivering, "If I move…"_

 _But the decision was taken out of his hands._

 _The person holding Nico shoved him hard in Tora's direction, and he crashed into the girl, taking them both to the ground. They scrambled to their feet as their attacker aimed the gun at them._

 _There was no question in Yuuri's mind what was going to happen next, and his slender, agile body was moving instantly. He threw himself at the two and crashed into them forcefully, his weight carrying them over the edge of the rise as the gun cracked, then sending then in an uncontrolled tumble down the decline, their bodies crashing into little rocks and bushes all the way down. It was only once Yuuri's body had rolled to a stop that he felt the strange stinging begin in his shoulder._

 _Then, he saw the blood that was spilling out._

"Yuuri?"

Victor's voice sounded worried, and he noticed as he blinked and looked back at his husband, that Nico and Tora had stopped dancing, and were looking worriedly at him.

"S-sorry, I'm fine," Yuuri stammered.

Victor cupped a warm palm around his cheek.

"There is no way that you are fine," he said, shaking his head, "I think it's time we should go. We're all pretty tired, and I have to compete in the free skate tomorrow."

Victor watched Yuuri closely on the ride back to the hotel as his partner tried to soothe Tora's worries by talking and laughing with her. But, having known Yuuri for as long as he had, Victor didn't miss that the smile wasn't reaching the Japanese skater's brown eyes, and as soon as Nico and Tora had gone into their rooms, Yuuri started towards the master bedroom. Victor stopped him just inside and wrapped strong arms around him. A shiver went through him as he felt Yuuri was trembling.

"What is it?" Victor asked, "Are you worried about the reporters from before? That's not like you. But no, it's not that at all, is it? It's the stalker, Yuuri? You're worried about Kate trying to hurt us while we're here?"

"S-sorry," Yuuri said shakily, "it's just that there's been a lot going on and…and while we were dancing, I was anxious about things. My mind just went back to what happened in Detroit, and…"

"Shh," Victor said, kissing him comfortingly, "this has been really hard for you, I know. You've been so strong for Tora and you've been supporting me while I stumbled around, trying to figure out what I was doing. Come to bed and let me comfort you a little."

Yuuri stood quietly as Victor's loving hands undressed him then dressed him again in soft, warm night clothes. The two crawled into bed and Yuuri curled up on Victor's shoulder. He calmed even more with his husband's tender kisses and little caresses.

"It's going to be all right," Victor promised him, "We're watched twenty-four hours a day by our guards, and all of us are aware. And while you were in the hospital, Sava taught me and the kids some things we can do if we run into trouble. Yuuri, we'll be all right."

"I want to believe that," Yuuri said hesitantly, "It's just that…when the reporters started gathering in front of us, and we were kind of trapped, I felt like we were vulnerable, all of a sudden. I was really scared for a minute."

"I'm sorry. I'll make sure that you and the kids are better protected tomorrow. It won't happen again."

"But something else could," Yuuri pointed out, "Victor, we're always going to have to worry about Kate until she is stopped!"

"Detective Daniels is working on that. She is very motivated to stop Kate. I think we have to trust her."

"I do. I'm just scared."

"I know," Victor agreed, "I am too. But we are going to be all right. I swear, I won't let anything bad happen to Tora, Nico or you."

In his mind, Yuuri heard the crack of the gun, as it had sounded in the park in Detroit…but this time, it wasn't him falling.

It was Victor.

"Don't let anything bad happen to you either," Yuuri whispered.

"Of course not," Victor whispered back, "We'll all be okay. We're going to be fine."

Yuuri closed his eyes and buried his face in Victor's shoulder again.

"Okay," he managed in a still shaky voice, "I trust you."


	25. Dirty Little Secrets

**Chapter 25: Dirty Little Secrets**

Tora held Victor's hand and pressed close to him as they entered the Hiroshima ice arena and headed for the media staging area. She looked down at her dress and shoes, then back up at her father, who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Don't look so worried," he chided her gently, "This isn't going to be like the other day. I purposely scheduled the interview to be at a time when there wouldn't be anyone practicing here. It's really just going to be us, Morooka and the TV crew."

"But, they're going to ask me a lot of questions," Tora complained, "I didn't like what they asked before, especially after you explained last night what a love child is."

Victor sighed and patted her back lightly.

"Don't worry about that," he said reassuringly, "I've been dealing with reporters for many years. If they ask any uncomfortable questions, Yuuri and I know what to do. And Mr. Morooka is not the kind of man to be very rude, like those other reporters were."

"Okay," Tora said anxiously, glancing at Nico, who gave her a sympathetic smile in return.

The four were met by Morooka, who bowed and greeted them politely.

"Victor, Yuuri," he said, smiling.

"Good morning," Victor said cheerfully, "and this is my daughter, Tora Nikiforova, and my student, Nico Palomo."

"Very nice to meet you, Nico," Morooka said, bowing, "And Tora, pleased to meet you as well. I've been hearing a lot about you. Now, if you will just come and sit up here with me, our cameraman can record the interview. Kids, just relax. I'm just going to ask you a couple of basic things about yourselves and your skating, all right?"

"All right," Tora and Nico answered together."

"I'll save the hard questions for Victor," the newsman joked.

"Just don't make them too hard," Victor snickered, "It's still early."

"Okay, just a second to get the camera ready."

The cameraman angled the camera, then gave Morooka a thumbs up.

"Whenever you're ready."

"Okay," Morooka said, turning on a friendly smile, "Good morning, Hiroshima and also to our viewers around the world. As you know, there is going to be a big competition this afternoon. The men's free skate will be taking place, and one of the skaters competing here tonight will be Victor Nikiforov. We have Victor here with his students, Yuuri Katsuki and Nico Palomo. Also here is the young lady that we all have been hearing about over the last few days, Victoria Nikiforova, Victor's American born daughter. Victor, Yuuri, Tora and Nico, welcome."

"Thank you, Morooka," Victor answered, "We're happy to be here."

"We're happy to have you. I'm sure you're aware of all of the stories that have been making their way around social media. So, now is your chance to give us the true story. Let's start with what people have been the most curious about, Tora. Victor, can you tell us about your daughter? I've heard that you were not aware until very recently, that you had a daughter. What is the story on that?"

"Well," Victor said, taking Tora's hand in his, "it is true that I did not know about Tora until very recently. Tora's mother was an ice dancer who I met a little over ten years ago on a visit to America. I was scheduled to perform in a private exhibition in New York and Tora's mother, Sage Maxfield, was chosen to perform an ice dance with me."

Morooka nodded.

"It seems like more went on than just skating," he teased gently.

"Yes," Victor chuckled, blushing slightly, "Sage was a very charming young woman, one of the best skaters I have ever worked with. There was something about the two of us that just…clicked, and after skating together and attending the exhibition dinner, we were a little giddy from all of the fun and we got a little carried away."

"Just a little," Morooka laughed.

"Yes," Victor agreed, "I wanted to continue to see her, but Sage had some private reasons why she felt that could not happen, and I was young and under a lot of pressure as my skating career, so agreed with her that we should just continue to be friends."

"But you didn't speak to her after that?"

"No, I was traveling all over the place and very focused on my skating, so we fell out of touch and I didn't hear from her again."

"And, how did you find out about Tora?"

"Ah," Victor laughed anxiously, "I was out of the country on business, and while I was gone, Tora was brought to my house, where she was cared for by Yuuri until I came back. I was told that her mother was killed in a car accident, and it was her wish for Tora to be sent to live with me."

"That must have been an incredible shock," the newsman acknowledged, "Can you tell us, what were you thinking when you saw her? Did you know right away?"

"Ha, what do you think, eh?" Victor asked, smirking, "She looks just like me. I knew right away that she must be mine. The information sent with her confirmed that she is my daughter."

"Now, Tora, first let me say that I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother."

"Thank you," Tora said softly.

"Can you tell us what it was like for you, meeting your father for the first time?"

"W-well, I actually met Yuuri-san before I met my dad," the girl explained, brushing several silvery strands of hair out of her eyes, "I was really scared, because I had never been to Russia. I could barely say anything at all, but Yuuri-san took care of me until Daddy got there."

"And what was it like, meeting Victor?"

Tora laughed nervously.

"I was pretty scared of him at first. He wasn't mean or anything. He was just confused, like I was. Once he knew who I was, he was really nice to me. I only knew that he was an amazing skater before. It's exciting and sort of strange to think he's also my dad."

"Well, I think a lot of people agree that it's exciting you're Victor's daughter. I understand that you are already a talented skater too?"

"She is," Victor agreed, "Tora is definitely talented, and we will be carefully developing that talent, while making sure that she is not pushed too hard too soon, which, as you know, is how young skaters are often injured. We know that Tora is going to be successful in the sport, but we want to also make sure that her health is protected too."

"Well," said Morooka, indicating a playback of several of Tora's jumps and spins, "I think it's clear that this young lady will be a force to be reckoned with."

"Oh, she is already that," Victor joked, his eyes twinkling.

"I heard that Tora is going to be competing in pairs skating," the newsman went on, "Is that true?"

"It is," Victor affirmed.

"Mmhmm, and we seem to have picked up some footage of Tora's future partner from social media," Morooka said, as the playback switched to a clip of Victor lifting the slender Latino youth over his head.

Nico blushed brightly and Victor chuckled good naturedly.

"Can you tell us what was going on at that practice session?" Morooka asked.

"Well," Victor said, smirking, "one way to test a rather cocky young skater is to basically put the shoe on the other foot and see how well he understands, not just his role in the performance, but his partner's as well. I was performing an ice dance with Nico that he and Tora had done for an exhibition, but having him take on my daughter's role to test that ability to shift perspective on the whole performance. As you can see, Nico was quite capable of shifting that perspective and he gave an admirable performance. This is part of what inspired me to take him on as a student. I believe he has much to bring to the sport, both as a singles skater over the next couple of years, and eventually as Tora's pairs partner."

"I think we can all agree that Nico is a thrilling young skater to watch."

The newsman turned his attention to the still blushing youth.

"How do you feel about relocating to Russia to train with such a legend in figure skating as Victor?"

"Heh," Nico laughed nervously, "It's pretty incredible. Everyone knows that Victor is one of the most talented figure skaters ever, so being able to train with him is pretty amazing."

"We're sure we're going to see some amazing things from you and Tora," the newsman said, grinning, "But, let's move on to Victor's other student, Yuuri Katsuki. Yuuri, there were a lot of stories flying around about your recent injury that resulted in your having to drop from the Grand Prix Series, everything from you being arrested in Russia and beaten up by other detainees to you being injured in a skating accident. Can you tell us anything about what happened? How were you injured?"

Yuuri exchanged glances with Victor, who gave him a little encouraging nod. Yuuri glanced at Tora, then back in Victor's direction before answering.

"Well, I can't go into a lot of detail, because the Detroit police are still investigating the incident, but the truth is, I was shot in the shoulder while in a park near the hotel in Detroit where Victor, Tora and I were staying during the competition," he explained.

"That's terrible!" Morooka exclaimed, "Someone attacked you in the park?"

"Actually," Victor said solemnly, "someone, an, as yet, unidentified person, attacked and threatened Tora and Nico in the park. Yuuri was injured as he very bravely protected them. From the moment Tora came to us, Yuuri has loyally cared for her and protected her. They have become close, and I know that Tora could not have a better friend…and _stepfather_ , than Yuuri."

"What an amazing story!" the newsman said emphatically, "Yuuri, while it's a great loss to not have you in the competition, I think it's incredible what you did."

"What Yuuri did wasn't just protection," Victor said, giving his husband an affectionate look and wrapping his arm around Tora, "it was _heroic_."

"You have my full agreement there, Victor," Morooka agreed, "Well, we are glad that all of you are safe, and we're looking forward to the competition tonight. Victor, the short program went well, but are you concerned at all about the fact that J.J. is so close in points to you? What are you thinking as you go into the free skate."

"I think it will be a visually thrilling competition to watch. All of the skaters performing tonight are at the top of their game. All of us are ready. Win or lose, that is the best kind of situation."

"But you think you have this?" Morooka asked, grinning.

Victor gave the newsman a charismatic wink.

"I am performing in competition in front of my daughter, here," he said firmly, "I am not going to disappoint her."

"And if your short program is any indicator, J.J. is going to have to really push himself to pull ahead. Well, we're all looking forward to tonight's competition. Thank you, Victor, Yuuri, Tora and Nico."

"And thank you," Victor said graciously, "It's been a pleasure."

The red camera light turned off and Morooka nodded appreciatively.

"That's some shocking stuff that's been going on. I hope they apprehend the person who hurt Yuuri and threatened Tora and Nico."

"They're working on it," Victor informed him, "We are keeping the security around us high until the person is captured."

"I hope that's soon," the newsman said sincerely.

The four took their leave of the media crew and headed into the preparation area, where the skaters for the evening's competition were stretching ahead of the last morning practice. Yuuri slipped his arms around Victor and kissed him tenderly.

"Good luck out there today. Do your best," he said affectionately.

"I will," Victor promised.

Victor nodded and turned his attention to the two children.

"You two go with Yuuri back to the hotel. If you go out, keep Sava close to you. I will see you in a few hours."

"Goodbye, Daddy. Good luck!" Tora said, hugging him tightly.

"Good luck, Mr. Nikiforov," Nico added.

"Thank you, Nico."

Yuuri led the children out of the preparation area, and towards a waiting car, where their bodyguard met them and opened the car door for them. They climbed inside and the vehicle pulled away from the curb, heading back to their hotel.

"I thought that went pretty well," Yuuri commented, "You and Nico did just fine for your first big interview."

"It wasn't too bad," Tora said, smiling, "Mr. Morooka was really nice."

"Yeah, he's always been one of my biggest supporters. Victor and I knew that he would be tactful, but still run a good interview. We trust him. I just hope that the interview will kind of calm things down."

"Me too," Tora sighed, "It was scary before when people started to surround us."

"Well, if it happens again, just take a few deep breaths and make sure you stay close to Sava. He won't let anyone bother you."

"Yeah," Nico agreed, "he's pretty great."

The car turned into the hotel roundabout and came to a stop. Sava left the front of the vehicle and started towards the door to open it for them, but he stopped again and picked up his cell phone. His expression darkened instantly, and he climbed back into the car.

Yuuri stiffened.

"What is it? What's going on?" he asked, putting an arm around Tora, "Did something happen to Victor?"

"There's been an incident at the sports arena," Sava explained, "Victor's bodyguard called to tell me that some kind of bomb went off near where the skaters were practicing, and it filled the arena with noxious gas and smoke. He got Victor out, but he and all of the other skaters, as well as a bunch of others who were watching the public practice, were unconscious and being taken to local hospitals."

"Daddy?" Tora said in a scared voice, her face going white.

"He'll be all right," Yuuri said, clenching his jaw and holding the girl close, "We're going to him now, right Sava?"

"Yes, just be sure to stay close to me. If this is the work of your stalker, it's a bold move, and we have to think about what else they might be planning."

"You think they could try something at the hospital?" Yuuri asked.

"I'm not sure. They would have to figure out where Victor would be taken if he was one of the ones injured. From what I heard, the injured have been sent to several different hospitals to keep any one of them from being overwhelmed."

"Right," Yuuri sighed.

The car was quiet and the air thick with apprehension as the car sped across town to the hospital. The vehicle entered the roundabout and they found Victor's bodyguard waiting for them.

"Artur!" Yuuri exclaimed, "why are you out here? Where is Victor?"

Artur gave Sava a look of warning, and the bodyguard led the children inside the hospital to wait. Yuuri's hands clenched into fists as he read the look in Artur's worried eyes.

"Artur?" Yuuri said anxiously, "What's happening? Tell me!"

The bodyguard sighed and nodded.

"Victor is in with the doctor, and I wasn't allowed in. There is a private waiting room inside that we can go to, but…there is something that you should know."

"What? What is it?" Yuuri demanded, "What's happened?"

Artur's voice shook as he answered.

"I just overheard that one of the skaters brought here has died."


	26. One Breath at a Time

**Chapter 26: One Breath at a Time**

Tora looked up at Yuuri as he rejoined them in the hospital lobby, and Artur led them down a long hallway and through several turns, to a small, private waiting area. Within the room, a boy about Tora's age sat silently in one of the seats, looking at the floor. His clothes were dirty and his face was smudged, and every now and again, he covered his mouth and coughed. A police woman stepped into the room behind them and carried a glass of water to the boy.

"Here, drink this," she said kindly, "It will make you feel better."

"Where are my mom and dad?" the boy asked in a scared voice, with a pronounced Russian accent.

"They're with the doctors, being checked out," the police woman answered in a soothing voice, "I am sure that you'll be back with them soon."

Tora frowned and studied the boy's face more closely. She nudged Yuuri, who looked down at her questioningly.

"Yuuri-san, isn't that one of the skaters from the ice rink in Saint Petersburg?" she asked, "I don't know his name, but…"

"Hmm, I think it's Vaska Kasaty," Yuuri answered, frowning, "His father, Kiriyak, is on the Russian National team. He's in the senior men's division competing here. It looks like he might have been at the rink. He was probably watching the warm up."

"He looks scared," Tora noticed, "Should I go talk to him? I mean, we've said hi once or twice. I don't know him well, but…"

"It's probably fine to go talk to him," Yuuri said, glancing at the boy for a moment, "but maybe don't ask him anything about what he saw. It could really upset him. Just…say hello and sit with him, if the officer says it's okay."

Tora nodded and approached the boy, who continued to look at the floor. The officer, who had sat down beside him looked at Tora questioningly.

"Can I help you, miss?" she asked.

"Oh," Tora said, smiling as the boy looked up and his eyes registered recognition, "I just realized this is Vaska, who trains at my rink in Saint Petersburg. I was coming to see if he was okay. I'm waiting to hear about my father, Victor Nikiforov. I'm Tora."

"Well, Tora," the police officer said uncertainly, "I don't know if Vaska is up to talking right now."

"It's okay," Vaska said, looking up at Tora, "I know her."

"All right," the officer said, standing and offering Tora the seat next to the boy, "I need to check in with my supervisor. I will be back in a minute."

Tora nodded, watching as the officer left, then she turned her attention back to the boy sitting next to her.

"Sorry if I'm bothering you," Tora apologized.

"No, it's okay," Vaska answered, his dark blue eyes looking down at his dirty hands, "It's nice to know someone. I mean, I don't really know you, but…at least we've said hi before. I don't know anyone here."

"Did you come to watch your dad compete?"

Vaska nodded.

"Me too," Tora informed him, "We were supposed to go to the competition tonight."

Vaska bit his lip and tensed slightly, blinking back tears.

"Hey," Tora said, slipping her pack off of her back, "I think I still have some wet wipes they gave us on the plane. You can use them to clean up a little, if you want."

The boy managed a little smile of gratitude as he accepted the two small packets and opened the first. He ran the first wipe over his face and throat, removing most of the soot from his pale face. He used the second to clean up his arms, then Tora took the used wipes and left to drop them in the trash can. She returned to Vaska and sat down again, motioning to Nico, who moved to join them.

"Vaska, this is Nico Palomo. He's…"

"I know who he is," Vaska interrupted, "You're the one who Victor was ice dancing with in that viral video."

"That's me," Nico agreed, blushing, "I'm Victor's new student. I usually skate with Tora. We're going to be partners when Tora is older."

"I heard that," Vaska replied, "You must be really excited Victor is going to coach you."

"It's pretty amazing," Nico affirmed, "I'm going to be living with Victor, Yuuri and Tora too."

"Oh," Vaska said, brightening a little, "so I'll see you around the ice rink."

"Yeah," Nico answered, nodding, "Looks like."

Across the room from the children, Yuuri and the two bodyguards tensed as J.J. Leroy's wife, Isabella, entered the room, looking rumpled and smudged, and gently assisted by a likewise rumpled Masumi.

"That's J.J.'s wife and Chris's boyfriend!" Yuuri exclaimed softly, moving towards the two.

"Isabella? Masumi?" he called out.

"Oh, Yuuri, it's terrible!" Isabella sobbed, throwing herself into the surprised Japanese skater's arms.

Yuuri's eyes looked baffled for a moment, but he patted her back gently.

"You and Masumi were with Chris and J.J. at the rink?" he asked.

"Yes," Masumi answered as Isabella continued to cry into Yuuri's shoulder, "It was really frightening. The explosion knocked all of the skaters down on the ice. They were all unconscious, and a lot of the spectators who were too close to the rink were knocked out too."

He glanced at the children across the room from them, and leaned in closer to Yuuri.

"Yuuri," he whispered, "Victor and Kiriyak were close to where the blast went off. Artur got to them quickly, but they…they didn't look good. And…on the way in here, I heard that…"

"I know," Yuuri whispered, glancing at Tora, "one of the skaters died."

"Yes," Masumi confirmed, "and it was a _Russian_ skater. I don't know if it was Kiriyak or if it was Victor, but it was one of them."

Yuuri closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing hard. Isabella released him and touched his arm sympathetically.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Are, uh…J.J. and Chris okay?" Yuuri asked shakily.

Masumi nodded.

"They're getting oxygen and they'll probably stay overnight, but they should be fine."

"That's good, at least."

Yuuri's damp brown eyes moved from Tora to Vaska and back again.

"We're just waiting for them to be taken to their rooms," Masumi went on, "but I'd be glad to wait with you."

Yuuri gave him a tremulous smile.

"It's okay. I have Sava and Artur…"

He paused as Mari and Minako ran into the room, looking around frantically.

"Ah, and Mari and Minako," he added, "You should go to Chris."

" _Go to me_?" Chris's voice said from the doorway, "No one needs to go anywhere. I'm right here."

"Chris!" Masumi objected, running to him and grabbing onto him tightly, "the doctor said he wanted you to stay tonight for observation!"

"Well, he can come in and observe me right here. I'm fine. Just a little knock on the head and a cough from the smoke. Besides, I'm going to stay here with Yuuri and Tora until there's word on Victor."

"Well, at least sit down then," Masumi complained, "You look pale as a ghost."

"He's right," Isabella agreed, "Sit down before you fall down."

She followed Chris and Masumi to sit down in nearby chairs as Mari and Minako joined Yuuri and the two bodyguards.

"Mari, Minako," Yuuri greeted them, "thanks for coming."

"Well, duh," Minako said off-handedly, "Where else would we be. Have you heard anything about Victor?"

"Not yet," Yuuri said, lowering his eyes, "and don't tell the kids this, but I heard that…one of the Russian skaters in the competition has died. There were only two. Victor and that boy's father, Kiriyak Kasaty."

"Oh god…" Mari whispered, covering her mouth.

"It's going to be okay," Minako said, taking Yuuri by the shoulders.

"I don't know how you can say that," Yuuri said softly, "Either way, one of those two kids is going to lose a parent, and if it's Tora…Victor was all she had."

"Don't be stupid. She has you," Minako chided him gently.

"Minako," Yuuri said hesitantly, "you know what the laws are about this. Victor was careful to put in his will that Tora would go to Yakov. He did this because Victor and I are a high profile gay couple and we were married in a public ceremony that was in the news. Neither Russian law nor Japanese law will give me custody of Tora. You know that."

Yuuri's dark eyes filled with tears.

"If he dies, everything is going apart. I…don't know what will happen to us."

"Yakov loves Victor," Mari said sternly, "He isn't going to let you and Tora be separated."

Yuuri's eyes rounded in realization.

"Yakov! He would've been at the rink. Did he get out okay? Is he one of the victims? If not, then why isn't he here?"

"It's going to be okay," Minako said bracingly, "Yuuri, don't freak out. That little girl needs you to keep it together."

"Okay…" Yuuri breathed shakily, rubbing at his eyes, "sorry."

"No one's going to let Tora be taken away from you."

"How do you know?"

"I just know," Minako insisted, "You just keep thinking about Victor. Hang in there, all right?"

Yuuri stiffened again as a nurse entered the room alongside a disheveled looking woman that he immediately recognized as Kiriyak's wife.

"Raya," Yuuri greeted her, "It's good to see you're okay. Victor's daughter, Tora, has been sitting with Vaska."

Raya nodded wordlessly.

"Have you heard anything?" he asked.

Raya shivered and shook her head, blinking back tears.

"I am sure that word will come soon," the nurse said comfortingly, "Please wait here, Mrs. Kasaty."

Raya sniffed softly and nodded.

"Come and sit down with me," Yuuri invited her, leading her to two open seats as Mari and Minako sat down near them.

"Thank you," the Russian woman managed in a whisper, "I know I shouldn't be this way in front of Vaska, b-but…"

"I know," Yuuri said, taking her hands in his, "I'm scared too."

"Have you…heard anything about Victor or…?"

Yuuri felt a dark twinge inside.

 _She doesn't know one of them died._

 _I don't dare tell her._

"No," he said, shaking his head, "I haven't heard."

 _It's only a rumor right now, anyway. Nothing has been confirmed. Maybe what we heard was wrong. It happens all of the time in these kinds of situations, right?_

"I'm sorry," Raya said, dabbing her eyes, "You must be worried sick."

"Well, we can worry together, right?" Yuuri said comfortingly.

"I guess so."

Masumi rose and headed towards the two.

"I'm going to get some tea and coffee for the others. Would you like some?" he offered.

"Tea for me," Yuuri answered, "Thanks, Masumi."

"I will have black coffee," Raya requested.

Time passed, and the tea and coffee arrived and were consumed as the ones in the little room waited. As the hour grew late, a nurse arrived with pillows and little blankets. Tora, Nico and Vaska huddled in a corner of the room, on the floor, leaning against the pillows and fighting to stay awake as more hours ticked by. A chaplain arrived, and he moved around the room, offering hugs and kind words to those waiting.

"What could be taking so long?" Yuuri sighed, rubbing his hands over his face, "They should have been able to tell us something by now, shouldn't they?"

"It's hard to say," Mari sighed, shaking her head, "They have a lot of people here being treated. I'm sure their focus is on that, but I'm sure that as soon as there is news, we'll hear something."

"Hang in there," Minako added, slipping an arm around Yuuri.

Yuuri's eyes strayed to where Tora and Nico sat on the floor, talking quietly with Vaska.

"I will," he said firmly, "I need to be here for Tora."

"That's right," Minako said, nodding, "We're all here for you and for her too. Just keep your mind on Victor. He's a strong person. He's not going to leave you and Tora."

"You're right," Yuuri agreed, "Victor wouldn't do that."

 _I have to think that way. If I start letting doubts in, I'm going to get overwhelmed. Tora needs me to be stronger, so I'll just keep focusing on everything being all right._

 _You wouldn't leave me, Victor._

 _I know you wouldn't._

Another nurse arrived with a food cart filled with coffee, tea and small snacks, and she passed them around to the group, pausing to talk for a moment with each of them. And despite his worry, Yuuri realized suddenly that he was starving.

 _I'm glad they thought of this. God, I should have thought. Tora must be hungry too._

He ate quietly, his dark eyes watching as the children made their selections and dug into the snacks with a vengeance. Yuuri looked up at the nurse as she passed by on the way out.

"Thank you," he said gratefully, "I feel bad that I didn't even think to get something for the kids."

"Don't worry about that," the elderly woman said kindly, "You look like you have enough worries."

"Yeah…" Yuuri sighed, "We all do."

He watched the nurse leave and finished his food, then he sat, sipping at his tea as more time ticked by. Although the hallway outside the room had been noisy and active for much of the time, it seemed nearly silent, and few people walked by.

 _It's so late. I should try to encourage Tora to get some sleep._

He started to get up, but he noticed that the three had drifted off together in their little nest in the corner.

 _Thank goodness._

 _Tora needs the rest._

"How are you holding up?" Minako asked, "You should really try to nap or something."

"I can't shut my eyes," Yuuri said, shaking his head, "This waiting is killing me."

"Yeah," Mari agreed, "It's hard on all of us."

She started to say more, but then stiffened and stared as two tired looking doctors entered the room.

"Kasaty family?" the first called.

"Yes," Raya said, standing as the children in the corner came awake suddenly and stared in silence, wating.

"Nikiforov family?" the other doctor called.

"Here," Yuuri answered as Tora ran to him and the two followed the doctor to the opposite corner of the room where the other doctor was speaking with Raya.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting," the doctor said sympathetically, "I know you have had to be very patient, but…"

He broke off as Raya loosed a howl of agony and collapsed onto her knees while Vaska burst into tears, hanging on to her.

"Oh my god," Yuuri whispered, fighting back tears, "Her husband…"

"We were not able to save him," the doctor whispered sadly, "Victor is alive, but his condition is serious and we are monitoring him closely. He and Mr. Kasaty were close to the blast. They were lucky that the rink wall shielded them from fire, so that they were not burned, but their lungs were filled with smoke and they were overcome. Victor is on a ventilator to help him breathe. He is doing well and we are doing everything we can to keep it that way."

Yuuri shivered and held Tora tightly against him.

"Daddy!" Tora hissed in a teary whisper.

"Didn't you hear?" Yuuri said bracingly, "Victor is doing well. He's going to be all right."

He looked over to where Vaska's face was buried in his sobbing mother's shoulder.

"Tora," Yuuri said softly, "that boy is going through something horrible. We can't do anything for Victor right now, but maybe you can do something for him. After all, you've lost a parent too."

"Yuuri-san?" the girl said uncertainly.

"Go on, now. Try to comfort him."

He waited, watching as Tora crossed the room on still unsteady legs, then he turned back to the doctor.

"Can I see Victor?"

The doctor nodded.

"But for now, just you. I think it would be too upsetting for the children. Come, I will take you to him."


	27. Where Our Strength Lies

**Chapter 27: Where Our Strength Lies**

 _I need to be stronger_ , Yuuri thought as he followed the doctor through the hospital's white hallways, heading for the room where Victor was recovering, _When it was me lying in a hospital, Victor was strong for me. He made sure that Tora was taken care of, and he was there for me too. I need to be there for him now._

He took slow breaths, steeling himself against what he might see when he arrived in Victor's room. He was able to calm himself somewhat, but his hands clenched and shook slightly as they closed the distance to the treatment room. The doctor stopped him just outside the doorway.

"You should know that, despite being on the ventilator, your husband is conscious."

"Victor is conscious?" Yuuri repeated, his eyes widening.

"Victor is a tenacious man," the doctor explained, "Although we usually sedate for this, some patients are calm enough to work with the device while conscious. Victor is determined. He looks very pale and he is shaky, but make no mistake, he is fighting hard to recover."

Tears burned in the corners of Yuuri's eyes.

"That's just how he is."

"Yes. Go on, now. I think your presence will encourage him. Victor can't speak, because of the intubation, but he has been able to write answers to our questions."

"Thank you," Yuuri answered, taking a steadying breath.

He stepped into the room and was immediately stricken with the sharp, rasping sound of the respirator. And if that wasn't shocking enough, he was hit again with just how pale and sickly Victor looked, hooked up to so many monitors, an IV and the breathing apparatus. But almost immediately, his eyes connected with his husband's, and Yuuri felt calm seep back into his own body.

 _There they are again, those feral, fighting eyes. Whether it's mastering a difficult program, fighting his way through alcohol withdrawal or now just fighting to live when someone is trying hard to kill him, those eyes tell me that Victor is determined. I need to show him that I'm every bit as determined as he is._

Yuuri's dark eyes remained locked on Victor's as he sat down and took his husband's hand. Immediately, he was surprised by how tightly Victor's hand gripped his.

 _He can't tell me in words, so he's letting me know that he's putting all of his energy into surviving. He needs to know I'm taking care of Tora and myself, so that he can focus on himself._

"Doctor Akao says that you are pretty headstrong," Yuuri said, smiling encouragingly, "He also says that you're going to be okay."

Victor managed a little bit of a smile around the breathing apparatus and he pulled his hand free of Yuuri's and motioned for a pen. Yuuri picked up the pen and paper by the bed and held the pad as Victor wrote a word on the paper.

 _Tora?_

"She is fine," Yuuri said reassuringly, "She and Nico are with Artur and Sava in the waiting area."

 _Other skaters?_ Victor wrote.

"They're mostly going to be okay," Yuuri explained, "but one person, a skater, was killed."

 _Who?_

"Kiriyak Kasaty."

Victor's blue-green eyes closed for a moment and he shivered.

 _We were just skating together and talking. He was asking me some questions about strategies for coaching his son. Are his wife and son all right? They were there, watching from the stands._

"They're okay," Yuuri assured him, "and Tora and Nico are actually sitting with Vaska. They've been together ever since we arrived at the hospital."

 _Good._

"You need to rest now," Yuuri said, taking the pen and paper and laying them on the table at Victor's bedside, "I'm going to send Artur back with the kids to the hotel, and then I'm staying with you."

Victor started to motion for the pen again, but Yuuri shook his head firmly.

"No arguing," he said sternly, "I want you off that machine so that we can talk the normal way. If you keep doing this well tonight, they'll try to wean you off of it by morning."

Victor's eyes flickered stubbornly, but after a moment, he nodded. He watched silently as Yuuri left the room.

 _First Maret and now Kiriyak? Two innocent people have died and nothing seems to stop Kate's vendetta against me. This is insane._

 _It has to stop._

He closed his eyes, trying to drop off, but the rasping sound of the respirator and the odd feeling of the tube left him restless. He opened his eyes as Yuuri entered the room again, this time, leaving Sava at the door and being accompanied by Detective Daniels.

"Victor," Yuuri said, sitting down at his husband's side as the detective did the same, "I sent the kids with Artur, to the hotel. Vaska went along with them, so Raya could be seen by a grief counselor. Detective Daniels arrived just as I was coming back."

He handed Victor pen and paper, and the Russian skater began writing.

 _It was Kate who caused the explosion at the ice rink, wasn't it?_

"Yes," the lady detective answered, nodding, "This was definitely Kate's handiwork. I don't know how she got past all of the people we had watching at the airports. She shouldn't have been able to get out of the country, but my father was a very powerful man, and Kate seems determined to use every bit of advantage that gives her. Victor, I am almost in position to bring my father's organization down. Once that happens, Kate will lose access to the money and other resources that are making all of this possible."

 _You have to do something quickly!_ Victor wrote, _Innocent people are dying. A wife was left without her husband because of me and a boy without his father. This can't continue. It has to stop!_

"I will stop Kate," Daniels promised, placing a bracing hand on Victor's arm, "but you have to do something too. Victor, you can't blame yourself for what Kate is doing. You _know_ that even if it was careless and irresponsible behavior that you and my sister engaged in before, you were teens who were just acting out like teens do. You were both consenting adults, and both of you, when you learned of Tora's existence, have proven that you are willing to take responsibility and do your best to care for Tora. There is nothing that you or Sage did that makes my father's or Kate's behavior acceptable. They are the ones who are doing something wrong, here. They are responsible for the deaths of Maret and the other man who was killed, not you."

"She's right," Yuuri said sternly, "You need to stay focused on taking care of yourself. Don't be distracted by that kind of thinking. Tora and I need you. We need you well, Victor."

A weighted look came into Victor's eyes, but he nodded briefly.

 _Have you learned anything new?_ he wrote.

"We are working with the Japanese police to track down the local sources that might have helped Kate to pull this off. That investigation is going well, and I expect we'll have a pretty clear picture of how this was done and who else was involved, very soon."

"What do you think Kate will do next?" Yuuri asked worriedly, "Do you think she'll try to attack us again in Japan?"

"I don't think so," Daniels answered, frowning thoughtfully, "She's aware of the fact that this was a high profile event, and that Japanese law enforcement will not lose face by failing to track down the perpetrators. No, I think Kate will head for her next target."

 _Our home in Russia?_ Victor wrote.

"It's hard to say," the lady detective sighed, rubbing her chin, "I have already contacted the Russian government to warn them. Security has already been raised around all of the major skating arenas, although the one that has the most concerns is probably the one in Moscow, where the Rostelecom Cup is being held."

"I've also heard," Yuuri added, "that because of the damage to the rink here, and the need to give the skaters time to recover, the skating federation is going to hold the NHK Trophy men's singles free skate at that arena, the night before the Rostelecom Cup begins. That's the only way that they could give the skaters who were injured a fair shot at still completing their competition and not disrupt the rest of the Grand Prix Series."

 _That doesn't give us much time to recover_ , Victor wrote.

"And it's going to be especially hard on people like Victor and J.J., who have to skate in both events after also being injured."

Victor's blue-green eyes turned troubled.

 _Maybe I should drop out of the competition_ , he suggested, _I don't want to endanger people unnecessarily._

Yuuri looked as though he wanted to object, but after a moment of thought, he slipped his hand into Victor's and squeezed it gently in support.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Detective Daniels said confidently, "She's used a different means each time to accomplish her goals, and she knows that after pulling off this attack, she won't be able to do the same thing in Russia. No, when she comes after you in Russia, she will do her best to create a situation in which she is able to separate you and Tora from everyone and take you out directly…and Victor, she'll use extreme means. Kate is really driven. I think that the years of pretending to be my father's perfect son has finally caught up with her. And there's something else you should know."

She paused for a moment and took a slow breath.

"Before I left the USA, I was able to confirm something that I could not, up to this time."

"What was that?" Yuuri asked.

"I was able to confirm that my sister's car accident was no accident at all," the detective informed them, her voice tensing with anger, "Kate was in the car that collided with Sage's. And she had doused the front of the car in gasoline to increase the risk of fire. She's lucky she didn't kill herself…and when I saw the report, I began to wonder if that hadn't been her intent."

"You think that Kate wanted to die with Sage and Tora?" Yuuri asked incredulously.

"Keep in mind that my brother has been struggling with his identity for all of his life. My father would have disowned him, maybe killed him, himself, if my brother had not forced his feminine side into hiding. He only felt free to become Kate after our father's death, and then, he still had to be careful not to let on to my father's old friends and comrades what he was doing. I do believe that when my father ordered him to kill Sage, my brother had no choice but to obey. But actually murdering our sister like he did caused him irreparable damage. He shifted to Kate's persona, but she has been using his old identity to access money and personnel to try to kill you and Tora. I think Kate's fascination with killing you and Tora is a crazy, demented attempt for Kate to avenge our sister's death. But I think Kate also does not plan to live through whatever finally achieves that. It makes the situation very dangerous."

 _If that is the case_ , Victor wrote, _then the only reasonable and rational thing for me to do is to not expose others to the danger. I have to drop from the competition._

Yuuri and the detective exchanged glances and Yuuri started to speak, but he was stopped as Raya Kasaty was escorted into the room.

"I am sorry to interrupt," she said softly, "Victor's doctor said that he is able to communicate. I wondered if I might be able to speak with him."

"Victor can write down responses to any questions you have," Yuuri answered, "We can step outside so the two of you can talk."

"You don't have to leave," Raya assured them, "Anything we have to say can be said in front of you. After all, you are Victor's family. And I understand, you are Detective Daniels, who is investigating the explosion?"

"I am," the lady detective answered.

Yuuri moved aside, so the young woman could sit down next to Victor, who looked back at her through quiet, but guilty eyes.

"Victor, I am sorry to ask you about something that may bring you pain to think of, but…I want to know about Kiriyak's last moments. I saw that the two of you were skating together and talking. What were you…?"

Raya paused as she read the last sentence on the paper that Victor had been using, and a troubled look came over her face.

"You are thinking of dropping out of the competition?" she asked.

She handed the pen and paper to Victor.

 _There is a crazy person who is trying to kill Tora and me. She will stop at nothing to hurt us. Yuuri was already shot while protecting Tora, and one of our bodyguards was killed. I don't want any other innocent people hurt. The only right thing to do is to give Kate no reason to hurt the people at the Rostelecom Cup._

Raya considered silently for several long moments, then she looked into Victor's pained eyes.

"If you've met Kiriyak, even only casually, then you know the kind of man my husband was," Raya said sadly, "You know that he would not blame you or your daughter for being in the path of a monster who would do this. And…if I honestly thought that there would be danger to the people at the Rostelecom Cup, I might agree with you. But, you know as well as I do that the venue will be guarded like a fortress, now that this has happened. The ones who will still be in danger, wherever you go, are you and Tora. Victor, dropping out of the competition will not bring my husband back, and it will make you look weak, which could only encourage your enemy to become bolder. You must be careful, of course. But I think that you should still compete."

Victor kept his eyes on hers as he wrote out an answer. Raya read it and smiled through a fresh bout of tears.

"I don't know what to say," she whispered, "but…thank you."

She sniffed softly and dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief.

"I will make sure that it's seen to," she said, tearing off the response and placing it in her pocket, "Now, if you don't mind, will you tell me what you and Kiriyak were talking about? I know it may not have been important or anything, but…"

 _We were talking about our children_ , Victor wrote on a fresh sheet of the notepad, _He was saying that Tora seemed to be developing quickly as a skater. Then, he asked me what I thought about how to best support Vaska. Kiriyak says that he loves the skating, but competition makes him anxious. I told him that most young skaters go through that stage, but with the right support, they learn to embrace competition instead of worrying about it. He said that Vaska looks up to me, and he asked me if Yuuri and I would speak to him about that. He thought it would be good for your son to hear what we had to say._

Raya smiled.

"I think Kiriyak was right to think that. After all, Yuuri did struggle, even as an advanced skater, with lingering anxieties about competition."

 _Yuuri and I will speak to him, but later, when the time is right for that. I don't know how his father's death is going to affect his love of skating. He may embrace it because it was so much a part of who Kiriyak was, but he may turn away from it, for the very same reason. Grief is different in different people._

"I understand that," Raya said softly, "but neither Kiriyak nor I will raise our son to turn away from the difficult things. Vaska is a good, strong boy. I think, with the right encouragement, he could overcome this."

 _What encouragement would you like me to give him?_ Victor asked, _Would you like me to train him, myself_?

A look of genuine surprise came over Raya's tear-dampened face.

"Take on another student, when you already have to handle Yuuri's, Tora's and now the American boy's training?"

 _There is another coach who will be training Tora, one who has experience training pairs for competition. Yuuri is able to produce his own programs now, so he doesn't need as much from be but fine tuning. I can coach Nico and Vaska at the same time, if that works for you._

Raya stared at him incredulously for a moment.

"You really mean to do that? You will train my son? But you know that…"

 _I don't want anything for it_ , Victor wrote, _At the very least, I owe him this, because…when everything exploded, he pulled me out of harm's way and he shielded my body with his. This is why he died and I didn't._

 _I won't ever forget what a brave person your husband was…and neither should anyone else._


	28. Stronger Together

**Chapter 28: Stronger Together**

Yuuri looked around as a nurse escorted him back into the waiting room for the Intensive Care Unit of the Hiroshima hospital where Victor was being treated.

"Yuuri-san!" Tora called out as she jumped up from the chair she'd been sitting in, "Can I see Daddy yet?"

"Good morning to you too, Tora-chan," Yuuri said, hugging the girl.

"Sorry, Good morning, Yuuri-san. I just was worrying all night and I want to see Daddy."

"It's no problem," Yuuri chuckled wearily, "Victor will be glad to see you, but they have to get him comfortable first. They've been weaning him off of the ventilator, so when you talk to him, he may have a hoarse voice or he might not be talking at first."

Tora gave him an anxious look.

"But he'll be okay now, right?" she asked.

"Oh, Victor will be fine with rest and good care," Yuuri assured her, "He just needed help getting enough oxygen for awhile. Now, they're going to watch him for another day in a regular room, and then he should be released tomorrow. He's going to be fine, Tora-chan. In no time, we're going to be going home to Saint Petersburg."

"I'm glad," Tora sighed, "I really love Japan. I especially love Yuuri-san's family in Hasetsu! But, I was barely getting to feel like Russia was sort of home to me."

Tora's eyes brightened suddenly.

"I forgot to tell you!" she said excitedly, "Vaska goes to the school where I'm supposed to go, because he's in our neighborhood. He told me that if I get assigned to his class, he will help me to make friends and learn more Russian."

"That sounds good," Yuuri said approvingly.

Tora giggled.

"Well, I think he kind of likes me."

Yuuri's eyes narrowed and he gave Tora a knowing smirk.

"Maybe you don't want to mention that to Victor right now. I think he'd have to go back on the breathing machine."

"Yuuri-san, don't make fun of that!" Tora objected, "That was scary to even hear about. I hope it didn't hurt."

"It's okay," Yuuri assured her, "He wrote to me that it hurt a little, but he wasn't scared because the doctors told him everything that was going to happen. Victor knew that if he wanted to recover, he had to work with the doctors, so he made up his mind to do that. Victor is really strong. I don't know if I could have been as calm as he was."

"I don't think I could be," Tora said appreciatively, "I hope I can be like that someday."

Yuuri gave her a little pat on the cheek and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't worry, you're so much like Victor, I think you'll be just as strong as he is when you've grown up."

"Mr. Nikiforov," the nurse said to Yuuri, "I've just been informed that they've got Victor settled in his room. It's on the fifth floor, room 540. Go up the elevator, turn right and he's in a private room at the end of the hall."

"Thanks," Yuuri said gratefully, "Come, Tora-chan."

Tora took Yuuri's extended hand and the two headed out of the waiting room and to the nearby elevator. They rode to the fifth floor, then exited and stopped at the nurse's desk.

"We're here to see Victor Nikiforov," Yuuri informed the charge nurse.

"Right, go on back," the nurse invited him, "He's settled in now and anxious to see you both."

"Well, let's not keep him waiting," Yuuri said cheerfully, leading Tora on, down the hall.

They slowed and stopped at the door to the room, where Sava stood guard.

"Good morning, Yuuri, Miss Nikiforova," Sava greeted them.

"You can just call me Tora," the silver-haired girl giggled, "I told you that before."

"All right, Miss Tora," Sava answered, smiling.

The two entered the room and found Victor sitting up in bed, still looking pale, but sipping at a cup of warm tea.

"Daddy!" Tora exclaimed.

Victor's head tilted slightly and he frowned at the fact that she didn't move from Yuuri's side. He set down the tea and motioned for her to join him, but didn't speak. Tora moved forward reluctantly.

"Are you sure it's okay?" she asked, "I didn't want to knock over your tea or…or hurt you or anything."

"I'm not made of glass," Victor managed in a hoarse whisper, opening his arms, "Come, Tora!"

Reassured, Tora climbed onto the bed, squeaking in surprise as she was pulled into a tight, warm embrace.

"I'm glad you're okay," Victor whispered, "You must have been scared out of your mind, and then, having to wait all night for news. Poor thing."

"Me?" Tora objected, "You were in an explosion!"

"I'm okay, really. I know I sound terrible."

"You look terrible too," Yuuri chided him.

"Thanks," Victor hissed, "You're a lot of help."

"It was really scary when the bomb went off, wasn't it, Daddy?" Tora asked worriedly, "And Vaska's mom told me…she said that Vaska's dad saved you."

"He did," Victor affirmed, pausing to take a swallow of tea before continuing, "Kiriyak was really brave. He didn't even stop to think. He saw the danger and he just…protected me."

"I'm glad he did," Tora said, giving him a conflicted look, "but poor Vaska. He and his mom are really sad."

"I know," Victor said, touching his daughter's silvery hair, "I am sad for them, but I hear that _someone_ was doing a pretty good job of comforting Vaska. Was that, perhaps, you?"

"Well, I did tell him about what happened with Mommy and me."

"That must have been painful for you to think about."

"It was," Tora agreed, "but it's strange. I felt a little better talking about it this time. It's like…it still hurts, but it doesn't hurt as bad."

"Sometimes it helps to talk about things like that with someone who understands what you've been through," Yuuri reasoned.

"I think it made Vaska feel a little better too," Tora continued, "He did cry a lot, and he kept apologizing for crying. I told him what Yuuri-san told me when I was crying after Mommy died, when he was comforting me. I told him it's normal and just fine to cry when it hurts. I remembered that it felt good when you and Yuuri-san hugged me when I was sad, so I hugged him so he wouldn't feel lonely."

She paused and frowned slightly.

"I don't know if he liked that," she pondered, "His face turned kind of red and his eyes got wide like Yuuri-san's do sometimes. But he said it was okay."

"I'm sure he did," Victor muttered, rolling his eyes, "I'm going to have to watch that boy."

"What was that, Daddy? Is your throat hurting too much to talk anymore?" Tora asked anxiously, "We don't have to talk. You can write things down…"

"It's fine," Victor whispered, "I just need a drink."

 _God, I wish I could have a real drink…_

Yuuri read his expression and suppressed a little smirk as he handed Victor his teacup and watched him take few swallows.

"Your voice will come back okay, won't it?" Tora asked worriedly.

"It'll be fine, Tora-chan," Yuuri said reassuringly, "Hoarseness is a normal side effect. Victor just needs to drink soothing things and not talk too much. His voice will go back to normal soon."

"Well, we don't have to talk. We can watch something on TV or on the Internet," Tora suggested, "Vaska showed me some funny old Russian cartoons. See?"

She held up her cell phone and instantly Victor's face lit up.

"I used to watch that when I was really little," he giggled hoarsely.

He started to sing the theme song in Russian, but stopped a moment later, coughing.

"Don't do that!" Yuuri scolded him.

"It's okay," Tora laughed, "I can sing it for you."

"You c-can?" Victor panted, laying a hand on his upper chest and fending off another cough.

"Let her do it before you kill yourself," Yuuri said, shaking his head.

"Sure!" Tora said, nodding, "Vaska taught it to me."

Yuuri was sure his heart must be melting in his chest as Tora started to sing in Russian and Victor's expression softened and seemed to transcend even joyfulness.

"Can you teach it to me?" Yuuri asked, "I think I get some of the words, but…"

"Sure!" Tora laughed, setting the theme song to replay.

They practiced several times together, then Victor joined in, singing in a whisper. They paused, giggling, when Yuuri or Tora made a mistake and they played the theme song repeatedly until neither made mistakes anymore. Then, the three settled with Victor lying back against the pillows, Tora curled up on his shoulder and Yuuri in a chair, beside the hospital bed, all watching and laughing together at the antics of the characters in the cartoon.

By the time they had watched two episodes, Victor's eyelids grew heavy, and at the end of the third, Yuuri motioned for Tora to turn the phone off.

"What are you doing?" Victor complained in a drowsy whisper.

"I think you need to rest awhile," Yuuri said, adjusting the covers over his injured husband.

"Wait," Tora said as an orderly arrived with a food tray, "Looks like it's lunchtime."

"Oh great," Victor sighed, "No insult to anyone, but do you even know what they're making me try to eat?"

"Hmm," Yuuri said, studying Victor's meal, "looks like some nice broth, some tea and ooh, gelatin!"

"Fuck you, I'm not eating that," Victor said petulantly, "You eat it."

"Don't talk like that in front of our daughter," Yuuri chided him.

"You really shouldn't say bad words," Tora added.

"Oh, don't you start," Victor complained.

"Mommy said that people who say a lot of bad words are only doing it because they're not creative enough to think of something _real_ to say."

"Ouch," Yuuri snickered.

"Shut up," Victor hissed, flicking his finger across the top of the barely warm tea so that it splashed in Yuuri's direction.

"Hey!"

"Is something going on in here?" a nurse's voice said from the doorway, "You aren't misbehaving, are you, Mr. Nikiforov?"

"That depends," Victor said, running his fingers through his messy bangs and giving the nurse a little wink, "on which Mr. Nikiforov you are talking to, Nurse Sasano."

"I see," the matronly nurse said, arching an eyebrow, "Well, there is only one Mr. Nikiforov who is under doctor's orders to rest and to eat what is on his menu."

"Have a little mercy," Victor whimpered, "It would be hard enough to swallow something that tastes good right now. You can't blame me for not wanting to eat something with barely any taste at all. Can't you please let Yuuri slip in something good for me?"

"Absolutely not," the nurse said firmly, as Tora slipped off the bed and moved aside to give the nurse access to her patient, "Hold still, now."

The nurse slipped a thermometer into Victor's mouth. She chuckled as Victor deflated, but sat quietly, allowing her to record his vital signs.

"You have a little fever."

"I feel fine," Victor objected.

"I will have Doctor Akao come by and check to be sure there is no infection. Remember, he told you that infections are common after intubation. I'm sure it's minor, but we're going to be careful, just to be sure. He'll probably order some antibiotics. I'll make sure they bring you some yogurt so that your insides don't get depleted of good bacteria."

"Yogurt," Victor huffed, "Seriously? Are you trying to make me starve myself to death?"

"You will need to eat the yogurt, Mr. Nikiforov," the nurse said sternly, looking at him over the top of her glasses, "If you don't, you will probably end up spending even more time here and waiting longer to go home. You…want to be discharged soon, don't you?"

"I want to be discharged _yesterday_!" Victor whimpered, "I don't like being poked with needles and made to lie in bed all day and eat food I can't taste. I want to lie in my own bed. It's softer! I want my own goddamned robe."

"Daddy!"

"Sorry," Victor apologized, "I want my own robe. And I want food that I can actually convince myself to swallow. Swallowing isn't easy after what I've been through. You can understand that, can't you?"

"Uh, you'll have to excuse Victor," Yuuri said, stepping forward, "Of course he'll eat his broth and his yogurt. But, could I maybe bring his robe from the hotel to make him a little more comfortable? Then, maybe he won't complain so much."

"I suppose that's not asking too much," the nurse said, still frowning at Victor.

She leaned closer to Yuuri, speaking to him softly in Japanese for a moment, then she nodded to Victor and Tora and left the room.

"What was that all about?" Victor asked, sitting up,. "What did she say to you?"

"Huh? Oh that? I'll um…tell you later. Look, I'm going to go and get your robe. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," Victor sighed, leaning back again.

"Should I come with you, Yuuri-san?" Tora asked.

"It's okay," Yuuri said good naturedly, "You stay here and try to get your dad to eat a little bit and get some rest. Can you do that?"

"Sure thing!" Tora promised.

She watched as Yuuri left, then picked up a spoon from the food tray.

"You're going to make me eat that?" Victor whispered, giving the tray a half-hearted look, "Really?"

"I'll make you a deal," Tora said, "Mommy used to do this when I was sick and had to eat things I didn't like."

"What?" Victor asked, sitting up slightly.

Tora grinned and took a bite of the broth, then she made a face and giggled.

"You are a brave soul," Victor said appreciatively.

"Your turn," Tora said, picking up a second spoon and filling it with broth, "It's not so bad…eh…really."

Victor took a bite and grimaced.

"Ugh…"

The two laughed and each filled a spoon to feed the other. They continued to take little bites and laugh helplessly as the doctor and nurse appeared at the doorway.

"I hate to disturb them," the doctor said softly.

"I think that little girl is the only one who can get him to behave," the nurse chuckled.

Inside the room, Victor paused as Tora accepted a mouthful of gelatin and accidentally let some dribble onto her chin.

"Oops."

"I've got it," Victor said, picking up a napkin and cleaning up the mess.

He froze, looking into Tora's eyes.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Tora asked, "You look sad, all of a sudden. What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Victor said, shaking his head, "I just…realized I never fed you when you were a baby."

"That's not your fault. You didn't know."

"Yes," Victor agreed, his eyes filling with sudden tears.

"Daddy!"

"It's fine," Victor assured her, "I'm fine. I just…want you to know that…Victoria, if I could go back and…and be there…"

"I know you would," Tora insisted, putting the spoon down and hugging him, "You don't have to feel bad about that. You're here now. That's all that matters."

"I just wish that me being with you didn't mean that your mother was gone."

Tora frowned and bit her lip gently.

"I wish she was here too," she admitted, "but if Mommy was here, she would just say that we shouldn't waste time worrying about what we can't fix. We should be fixing the things we can."

"Well," Victor sighed, brightening as he hugged her again, then released her, "you are certainly the best medicine."

The two looked up as the doctor cleared his throat and stepped into the room alongside the nurse.

"Sorry to intrude, but I heard from Nurse Sasano that you were running a slight fever, Mr. Nikiforov?"

"I feel fine," Victor insisted, "Please, can't you let me go home?"

"All in good time," the doctor chuckled, "Open your mouth."

Victor rolled his eyes, making Tora laugh, but he complied with the doctor's order. The doctor checked his eyes, nose and throat and took his temperature.

"It looks like the infection is very mild. I think an antibiotic shot will do the trick."

"Another needle prick?" Victor whined.

"It's fine," Tora said, grinning and taking his hand in hers, "I'll sit with you while he does it."

"Are you sure?" Victor asked, "You don't like needles either. Won't it creep you out?"

"I won't look," Tora giggled, turning her head away as the doctor prepared the syringe.

"Just a little pinch," the doctor said bracingly, "Hold still, now."

Victor gritted his teeth, but held still for the injection.

"Ow…" he groaned.

"All done," the doctor said cheerfully, "Now, you get some rest."

He leaned closer and whispered something into Victor's ear that made the Russian skater smile. The doctor and nurse left and Tora looked at Victor quizzically. She started to ask a question, but was stopped as Yuuri returned to the room.

"Hey there," he called out, "I have your robe."

He set down a brown paper bag on the table and wrapped the robe around Victor's shoulders. Victor breathed in and a huge smile broke out on his face.

"Oh…!" he gasped, "Is that…?"

"Shh!" Yuuri shushed him.

The three leaned in close as Yuuri opened the brown bag and they breathed in the heavenly smell.

"Pork cutlet bowl," Yuuri whispered, " _run through a blender_."

"Oh my god!" Victor panted, placing a hand on his chest.

"Tiny bites now," Yuuri warned him, "and if you cough even once, we have to stop."

"Ah," Victor sighed contentedly, "I will die before letting out a single little cough. I swear!"


	29. Russia's Prince

**Chapter 29: Russia's Prince**

 **(Two weeks later in Moscow)**

As Yurio entered the Moscow ice arena, he spotted Yuuri Katsuki standing alone at the side of the rink, watching Victor warm up for the competition. He moved to join the Japanese skater, giving him a nudge with one elbow to get his attention.

"Hey pork cutlet bowl, where are the kids?" he asked, looking around briefly.

"Oh, hi Yurio. Artur's bringing them over later. Tora and Nico went out with Raya and Vaska to visit some tourist sites. They're trying to get Vaska's spirits up after what happened in Japan."

"Are you sure that's a good idea with that psycho still out there, stalking all of you?" the younger skater asked, frowning.

"I wasn't sure," Yuuri admitted, "but Victor said that there is motivation for the police to protect us…enough that it makes him comfortable letting them go out, as long as it's with a bodyguard. He says that our own guards aren't the only one watching."

"That's not ominous at all," Yurio said, smirking and shaking his head.

The two watched silently as Victor turned and jumped into a spin.

"You know, Yakov had a heart attack, an aneurysm and a massive stroke when Victor didn't come back to Russia to train after Hiroshima," Yurio commented, "I think he yelled at the idiot for ten minutes without stopping."

"Victor told me that he wanted absolute privacy for us and for Raya and Vaska while he was recovering and getting back on his feet. He knew everyone in Hasetsu would be supportive of that. Also, Yuko and Takeshi pulled out all the stops to give him as much private ice time as they could without closing the rink the whole time we were there. He's really determined."

"Huh," Yurio huffed, "He's determined, but he's coming off an injury and he's doing an extra free skate before we even get to the Rostelecom Cup competition. He's dreaming if he thinks that he can win both events. Even if, by some miracle, he does win the NHK Trophy, I'm not going to lose the Rostelecom Cup."

"I guess we'll see," Yuuri said, watching closely as Victor turned again and skated backwards, gathering speed, then executing a beautiful quad lutz, "Like I said, he's really determined."

"He's an old geezer, injured and he has no stamina," Yurio scoffed, "He's going to lose."

"Yeah? Well, I wouldn't count him out."

"I would," Yurio sneered, stepping onto the ice as Victor finished his practice and returned to where Yakov waited for him.

Yuuri chuckled softly as the old Russian coach began to give Victor a long-winded scolding. But as he stepped toward them, he saw Victor's lips move to say something and Yakov went quiet for a moment. Then, one hand rose and rested on Victor's shoulder for a moment, before Yakov gave him a last few stern words and let him go.

"What was that all about?" Yuuri asked as Victor grabbed a towel and wiped the heavy sweat from his face and throat, "He's still that mad about you not going back to Saint Petersburg to train?"

"Eh, that and he doesn't like my attitude in general, my jumps are shaky, my transitions are sloppy and he thinks I've got no business coming back so soon after being in intensive care."

Victor sighed and sat down on a bench to remove his skates. His blue-green eyes looked down at the golden blades as he untied the laces.

"Do you think he's right?"

Yuuri sat down on the bench at his husband's side.

"I think he's worried about you," he answered quietly, "We all are. I know the doctors cleared you to compete, but I also know you had to talk them into it. Victor…"

"You think I should drop out?" Victor asked stridently, still looking down at his skates, "That was what I thought too, but you know why I didn't."

"Yeah, I know. What Raya said got to you. You don't just feel determined for yourself, you want to do this for Kiriyak."

"The man saved my life, Yuuri," Victor said in a tensed voice that left no room for argument, "And I am the reason that we were both endangered. I'll do this if it kills me."

"I know you're determined," Yuuri acknowledged softly, putting a hand on Victor's sweaty arm, "You've worked really hard to get ready. I'm just wondering if this is the best thing for any of us."

Victor sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

"I don't know either, but it would seem like an insult to Kiriyak if I didn't at least finish the NHK Trophy event. And if I do that, what sense does it make not to compete in the Rostelecom Cup? I'm already here. I've got this, Yuuri. It's going to be fine. Trust me."

"I do trust you," Yuuri assured him, sitting down beside him and pulling him into a firm embrace.

"Don't do that, Yuuri!" Victor complained, "I'm all sweaty and smelly. At least, wait until we get back to the hotel and I shower."

"Oh, you think you're showering alone?" Yuuri said, smirking.

His levity made his Russian lover pause and relax slightly.

"Are you trying to seduce me, so I'll be too tired to compete?" Victor laughed, "You want that badly for me not to?"

"Victor, you told me that my insistence on not having alcohol, raw seafood or sex before competitions was just a lot of nonsense. You never hold off on any of those things."

"You know, you're right," Victor snickered, standing and throwing his pack over his shoulder, "Let's go to the hotel, have sex in the shower, then have raw seafood and a glass of wine for dinner."

"Whatever makes you happy," Yuuri said, smiling and shaking his head, "Here, let me get that pack for you."

"What? Do I look that old to you too?" Victor complained, holding the pack away from him.

"No, but you look that tired from the extra training," Yuuri insisted, "Let me help you."

"I don't think it'll make that much of a difference, but thank you."

The two left the ice rink and walked slowly back to the hotel.

"Have you heard from the kids?" Victor asked.

"Yeah, Artur checked in and said they'll come back after dinner. Raya's taking them to a place that's kind of special to their family."

"Good, that gives us some private time," Victor sighed as they reached the hotel, "We've barely been alone together since before we even went to Japan."

The two men took the elevator to the top floor and headed to the end of the hall, where they entered the penthouse suite and found it empty except for them. They entered the master bedroom and closed the door, then quickly shed their clothing and headed into the bathroom. Yuuri warmed the water in the shower, then the two stepped in under the multiple shower heads, taking a moment to adjust their aim.

"Oh my god, this feels good," Victor sighed, "I'm so tired."

Yuuri's arms curled around him from behind and Victor relaxed into his lover's embrace, closing his eyes and breathing more slowly.

"It's not fair," Victor yawned, sagging in Yuuri's arms, "I want to make love to you, but…"

"Shh, be quiet and rest, okay?"

"I _am_ an old geezer, like Yurio says," the Russian skater complained, "I'm all worn out."

"You're not old," Yuuri said firmly, "You've been training really hard, that's all. You're amazing, coming back like you have after what happened in Japan. Give yourself a break."

Victor sighed more contentedly as Yuuri's soft lips made a trail of wet kisses along the side of his neck and along the back of one pale shoulder. He went silent then, relaxing even more as Yuuri's caring hands bathed him. He was barely on his feet as they finished their shower and stepped out to dry off. Yuuri stole the towel from Victor's clumsy hands and dried him off, then he nudged his weary partner out into the bedroom. By the time Yuuri dried himself off and left the bathroom to dress, Victor was naked and collapsed on the bed, already asleep. Smiling, Yuuri tucked him in, under the covers, then he left Victor sleeping as he dressed and left the master bedroom to wait for the others to return. Victor was still in a deep sleep when Tora and Nico entered the hotel suite, followed by their bodyguard.

"Hey guys," Yuuri greeted them, "Did you have fun?"

"We sure did," Tora said, smiling and looking around, "Where's Daddy?"

"Oh, Victor's really tired from his last practice before the competition. He's resting right now. I'm sure he'll be up for dinner later."

But as the hours passed, there was no sound from the master bedroom, and when Yuuri went to check on his sleeping husband, he found Victor still curled up and snoring softly. He adjusted the covers and kissed him on the top of the head, then left the bedroom and returned to where the others were waiting.

"He's _still_ sleeping?" Tora asked, giving Yuuri a worried look, "Are you sure he's okay? Should we call the doctor?"

"Victor's fine," Yuuri said reassuringly, although his own doubts nagged at him even as he said the words, "He's just really, really tired, and he has a major competition all this weekend. We'll just let him rest while we have dinner. We'll put some away for when he wakes up later."

But Victor remained asleep until early the next morning, when he slipped out of bed and dressed, then he left a note for his slumbering husband.

 _Yuuri,_

 _Thank you for taking care of me yesterday. I'm sorry that I wasn't up to making love or anything else. I'm just very focused on the competition. I promise that I'll make it up to you when we get home. Please give Tora a kiss for me and tell her I'll be looking for her this afternoon. I'm going to be doing some extra training, then I have some things I have to do before tonight. Sava will be with me, so just stay close to Artur. Be safe._

 _Love,_

 _Vitya_

He left the bedroom and started towards the door, only to be stopped short by Tora's soft, scolding voice.

"Where do you think you're going, mister?"

Victor turned his head and smiled warmly at her in response.

"I forgot you are also an early riser," he chuckled, "I have some things to do before the final practice session. I will see you and the others at the arena later."

"Hmm," the girl said, crossing her arms, "I don't think you're leaving without eating something first."

"Oh, I'm not hungry," Victor said, shaking his head.

"Coffee and a bagel at least," Tora said sternly, "You're not stepping one foot outside that door until you've eaten _something_."

She made a sound of surprise at the mingled look of curiosity, affection and slight sadness he gave her.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Tora asked quickly.

"I'm fine," Victor assured her, grabbing her into a tight hug, "It's just that sometimes you really remind me of her, of Sage. Come, we'll have a quick bite together before I leave."

Tora followed him to the kitchen, watching as he opened the refrigerator and looked inside.

"You did love Mommy a lot, didn't you?" the girl asked quietly.

Victor turned to look down at her, his eyes soft and affectionate.

"I did love her, even if we weren't in love. Love doesn't have to be romantic for it to mean something. If things had been different, if Sage's father hadn't been so dangerous, I think we would have stayed in touch. I think she would have told me about you. I don't know what we would have decided about custody or anything else, but we wouldn't have fought over you. She wasn't that kind of person. Sage would have let me be a part of your life, and I think that she would have welcomed Yuuri also. She had a heart that big, you know?"

"Yeah," Tora agreed, her eyes misting, "I know.

The two turned their attention to making breakfast that they quietly shared at the table while Yuuri and Nico remained asleep. When they had finished, Tora washed their dishes and Victor dried them and put them away, then Tora walked her father to the door. Victor bent and kissed her on the top of the head, then patted her cheek in parting.

"Good luck in the competition, Daddy," Tora said, hugging Victor tightly, "I know you're going to win."

Victor looked down at her silently for a moment, then dropped onto one knee in front of her, making her look back at him quizzically.

"Tora, I want you to remember I said this, all right?"

"Okay, Daddy," Tora agreed, "What?"

Victor let out an uneasy breath, then took her face in his hands.

"Remember that I told you…sometimes there are things that are more important that winning."

"You don't think you're going to win?" Tora asked, frowning.

"I didn't say that," Victor said, smiling tiredly, "I will always do my best and try to win. I just mean that when you do anything, skating or anything else, you should always listen to your heart and do what it tells you to do, even if it's not an easy thing to do. Just remember that I told you that."

"Okay," Tora promised, "I'll remember, Daddy."

"Good girl," Victor said, kissing her cheek.

Tora frowned as she noticed a bit of dark purple fabric sticking out from under one of the cuffs of her father's runner jacket.

"Daddy, is that…?" she began.

Victor smiled sadly and stood.

"I have to go. I'll see you at the competition."

"See you there," the little girl said, grabbing him and hugging him again, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Victoria," Victor said, petting her hair.

Tora watched silently as he left, then she walked to the master bedroom door and tapped on it gently.

"Yuuri-san?"

"Come in, Tora-chan," Yuuri called back in a sleepy voice.

Tora scampered into the bedroom and crawled onto the bed, dropping onto Victor's pillow and smiling at Yuuri.

"Did Victor leave already?" Yuuri asked, squinting at the clock, "It's pretty early."

"I made sure he ate breakfast before he left," Tora reported, "He said he had some things to do before tonight and he'd meet us there."

"Hmm…"

"Yuuri-san, I'm worried," the little girl confessed.

"About what? Did it seem like something was wrong?" asked Yuuri, sitting up beside her.

"Daddy said he was okay," Tora explained, "but…"

She paused, her frown deepening.

"You don't think he was okay?"

"W-well, he said something kind of strange when I said that he was going to win the competition."

Yuuri's head tilted and he looked at the girl curiously.

"What did Victor say?"

"He said he wanted me to remember that…sometimes winning isn't the most important thing. I thought he was just nervous that he would disappoint me if he didn't win, for some reason, but then I saw…Yuuri-san, he wasn't wearing his free skate costume."

Yuuri considered for a moment, then he climbed out of the bed and walked to the closet, where he found his husband's free skate costume still on the hanger. Tora's eyes widened.

"Yuuri-san, what does it mean?" she asked.

Yuuri looked down at Tora and ruffled her silvery hair with one hand.

"Victor was sending us a message," he said reassuringly, "He didn't want us to worry. He has something special planned for tonight."

"How do you know?" asked Tora, giving him a mystified look.

"Because, if Victor didn't want us to know what he was doing, he would have taken it with him. That he left it here means that he wanted us to know that whatever happens tonight is just what he meant to happen all along."

"Yuuri-san, what is Daddy going to do?"

XXXXXXXXXX

(hours later at the ice arena…)

"The last skater to take the ice is going to be Victor Nikforov," Morooka reported, "but we've been informed that Victor will not be performing his planned program. Instead, in honor of his fallen Russian teammate, Kiriyak Kasaty, Victor will be wearing Kasaty's costume and skating his teammate's program, _Love is Never Lost_."

"And you can see and hear the reaction of the crowd as Victor is removing his jacket and everyone sees," a second reporter added.

"The sound is just deafening," Morooka said in an awed voice, "They're cheering and many in the audience are in tears as Nikiforov moves into position. Kasaty's wife and son are at rinkside, alongside Victor and Kiriyak's coach, Yakov Feltsman."

"Kiriyak's routine, of course, is not at the same level of difficulty as Victor's. It will be interesting to see how he will address that."

The crowd quieted and watched breathlessly as the music began and Victor began to skate.

"His execution of the opening and the first combination spin are just beautiful," Morooka reported, "He's moving into the first jump and I wonder if he's going to stick with Kasaty's move, the quad toe loop combination, or if we'll see something more difficult."

"And…no!" the second reporter said, staring and shaking his head, "Although it's obvious that Victor could have changed the program to raise the difficulty, as the program advances, he is performing it exactly as his late teammate would have."

"I don't know what to say," Morooka breathed in a choked voice, "I just…I'm at a loss to describe what's happening. The crowd is just _mesmerized_."

"Everyone in this arena knows what's happening here. Although he has the lead, and he could clearly have adjusted the program to go for a win, instead, Nikiforov is basically handing the win to J.J. LeRoy and even with the wide margin he has after the free skate, the best he can probably earn is second or third…and that's if there are no mistakes."

"Yes," Morooka agreed, "Even with this, so far, flawless performance, "J.J.'s program has a much higher level of difficulty. Even with the highest grade of execution, it would be nail-bitingly close."

"Well, Victor is delivering as close to a perfect performance as I've ever seen. Look at the seamless transition here, and he is performing Kasaty's trademark spin move as though it was one of his own."

"The effort it must have taken to master another program this late in the season," Morooka mused, "I'm amazed at the beauty of the moves I'm seeing here. This really is a lovely and touching tribute to Kasaty. You can see on the faces of Kasaty's wife and son that they agree."

"Look! Look at that triple axel combination. It's textbook, from start to finish."

"He's following with a triple flip, another stunning jump. As he starts the final set of moves, the crowd is already on their feet. People are crying and wiping their eyes. I don't think anyone was expecting something like this."

"Even Kasaty's family looks spellbound, and as the music falls away, the roar of the crowd is deafening. At center ice, Nikiforov has dropped onto his knees and tears are streaming down his face."

"I don't think I have ever seen such an emotional performance. It's a shocking conclusion to an already dramatic competition. Nikiforov is climbing to his feet and skating to the kiss and cry, but the crowd is still reacting. Kiriyak's wife and son have joined Victor and his coach in the kiss and cry, and…and all of them are wiping away tears. This is a truly breathless, spine tingling moment as we wait for Victor's scores."

"And…they are impressively high!"

"Did he do it?"

"No, no, he came about as close as statistically possible, but his score puts him just behind J.J. LeRoy and earns him the silver medal for the NHK Trophy competition."

"This does mean that Victor can still qualify for the Grand Prix Finals," Morooka concluded, "but I have a feeling that nothing we see in the Rostelecom Cup is going to hold a candle to what we've witnessed here, tonight. Take my word for it, folks, this one has been nothing short of amazing!"

In the kiss and cry, Victor leaned wearily against Yakov, his heart still pounding and his body shaking softly with the dregs of emotion and exertion. The old coach held an arm around him, helping him to his feet, then he led the exhausted skater out of the kiss and cry.

"I th-think I need to sit down," Victor said, holding a hand to his midsection, "I'm dizzy, Yakov."

"You were training too hard, trying to learn Kiriyak's program quickly, weren't you?" Yakov concluded, "You weren't fully recovered from your injury and you've exhausted yourself. Just a few steps more to the medical station."

He helped Victor to lie down on a cot as Yuuri, Tora and Nico ran to join them, and a medic rushed to Victor's side.

"Daddy?" Tora called out in a scared voice.

"I'm all right," Victor assured her, taking her hand as she reached his side, "I'm just very tired."

He looked up wearily into Tora's scared eyes and smiled.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I did do my best."

"It's okay," Tora assured him, "Like you said, sometimes there are things that are more important that winning."


	30. The We That Makes a Home

**Chapter 30: The We That Makes a Home**

Despite the fact that it was already late morning, Victor remained burrowed in the blankets and sleeping contentedly until the door to the master suite in the penthouse opened and Tora entered the room, carrying a breakfast tray, and with Yuuri beside her. The two approached the bed, exchanging amused smiles as Victor shifted, then his blue-green eyes opened, blinked sleepily and focused on them.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Tora giggled as her father sat up and stretched, then watched curiously as she placed the tray in his lap, "Your doctor said to make sure you ate a lot, so Yuuri-san and I made you something."

"Wow!" Victor laughed, giving her a hug of greeting, "whatever it is, it smells _amazing_!"

"We were practicing a little bit of Russian cooking," Yuuri explained, "I think it came out all right."

Tora lifted the cover off of the plate and Victor's eyes rounded in surprise.

"Are you kidding me with this?" he exclaimed, "You made syrniki for me? Seriously? It smells so good and there's enough for four of me here. I guess you'll have to help me."

"Then, it's good I brought a couple of extra plates and forks," Yuuri said, moving around to the other side of the bed as Tora climbed in next to Victor. The three split up the food and began to eat enthusiastically.

"Where is Nico?" asked Victor, "Is he still asleep?"

"No," Tora answered, smirking, "Artur took him to the rink to watch Tolenka practice."

"Oh, did the two of them meet already?" Victor inquired.

"Not yet," Tora laughed, "So far, Nico's too shy to actually go up and talk to him and I don't think Tolenka knows he's alive yet."

"Oh my god, this is perfect!" Victor gushed over the food, "Please tell me you'll cook for me every day."

"As much as you want," Yuuri promised, "We have to get you well for the Russian Nationals."

"I'm sorry that the doctors wouldn't let you compete in the Rostelecom Cup," Tora said sympathetically, "But I really want you to be okay."

"I told you and all of the rest of them, I will be fine," Victor said firmly, "I'm okay with dropping from the Grand Prix Series. It'll give me time to recover and to get ready for nationals. And it will give poor Yurio a chance to be in the spotlight since Yuuri and I keep raining on his parade all of the time and stealing his glory."

"He's not very good at losing gracefully," Yuuri chuckled.

"I'll also have more time to give your skating partner a little bit of mentoring in the area of getting the attention he wants from the boy he likes."

"Oh my god," Yuuri groaned, rolling his eyes, "Victor…"

"What?" Victor snickered, "You want me to leave the boy just pining and stalking Tolenka for years and years like you stalked me, Yuuri?"

"I _didn't_ stalk you!" Yuuri objected, "I admired you. It's not like I did anything creepy. I just watched you on TV all of the time and learned from you."

"And just think of how many more years we could have been blissfully happy together if you had gotten up the courage to just tell me you liked me."

"Yeah, right, like you would have noticed me when you were surrounded by a billion people who all would've liked to be your lovers."

"Well, I didn't choose any of them to marry me, now did I?" Victor pointed out, "I chose you, and that is the best decision I ever made. You are killing me with happiness, especially when you cook for me!"

"Well, you make me happy too," Yuuri said, nuzzling closer to Victor as they continued to eat their meal, "You're impossible sometimes, but I love you."

"I love you too, _solnyshko_ ," Victor answered.

He caught a soft berry between his teeth and leaned over to share it with Yuuri. Tora squealed and giggled delightedly.

"I bet Nico wants to do that with _Tolenka_!" she laughed.

"Don't you worry," Victor said, smiling slyly, "With my help, our Nico will have Tolenka eating out of his hand in a few days!"

"Victor, you are _not_ going to interfere with those two," Yuuri said sternly.

"Who's interfering?" Victor argued playfully, "I'm just going to give our boy a little bit of guidance. He saved our daughter's life, remember? The least we can do is make sure the boy is happy."

"And what if you getting involved just makes a mess of things?" Yuuri asked pointedly, "If it backfires."

"It's not going to backfire," Victor said with certainty, "I've got it all worked out. It'll be good if they get a glimpse of each other today. I can build on that."

"Victor!"

"Oh Yuuri, stop worrying so much," Victor giggled, "Wait, I forgot who I was talking to."

"Well, I guess I'm glad to see you in such good spirits," Yuuri sighed, collecting the dishes, "I was worried you'd be really upset about not getting to compete in the Rostelecom Cup and Grand Prix Finals."

Victor shrugged and shook his head dismissively.

"It can't be helped, so there's no good in getting upset over it. I'll still be competing in the Russian Nationals, the European Championships and at Worlds. And this will give me time to set up the exhibition for Tora and Nico. There is a lot of anticipation over that."

"I should really start school," Tora added, "Vaska's mom said she'll walk with us to school every day since she knows that you practice early and I told her Yuuri-san likes to sleep late."

"Maybe after the first day you go," Victor answered, "It'll be kind of special for Yuuri and me to see you off on your first day, _da_?"

"Right," Yuuri agreed, "but are you sure you're feeling ready for that?"

"I'm sure," Tora answered, taking the last bite of her food, "Vaska said that he would help me with my homework. He knows English and Russian really well, so he can translate some things and teach me so that I'll be able to read the words better, myself."

"That's really nice of him," Yuuri said appreciatively, "It sounds like you're getting to be good friends."

Yuuri carried the dishes back to the kitchen, while Victor turned on the television and clicked through the channels. He paused on one of the stations, where he spotted a newswoman interviewing several skaters.

"Hey look!" Tora said excitedly, "There's Yurio!"

"J.J.," the newswoman called to the tall Canadian skater, "how do you think it will go in the competition? Are you disappointed that Victor will not be competing? Or are you relieved?"

"I already beat Victor to win the NHK Trophy," J.J. said in a cocky tone, "I would just be beating him again."

"Well, one might point to the fact that Victor was not fully recovered from the injury he suffered in Japan, and he was diagnosed with exhaustion immediately after the competition…the scores were also still very close."

"Hey, I don't mind meeting Victor on the ice anytime," J.J. sneered, "I beat him before and I'll do it anytime he wants the humiliation."

"Oh my god, turn him off!" Tora complained, "Ugh, I don't like him."

"He's kind of funny," Victor chuckled, "And don't you worry," he said, ruffling his daughter's hair, "I will make him eat those words at worlds."

"Yuri Plisetsky," the reporter went on, "what are your feelings about the competition tonight?"

"Huh," the blonde youth huffed, "it's no competition, with or without Victor. I'll crush them!"

Victor and Tora exchanged amused glances.

"That's our Yurio," Victor said cheerfully.

Tora gave him a side glance.

"It doesn't bother you when they talk about you like that?" she asked curiously, "They say some mean things."

"Why should it bother me?" Victor asked her, "I know they're wrong to underestimate me, and I'm also wise enough to know that the only place to prove that is on the ice in competition. I don't worry about what people say. I just worry about what I can do. I can't change their minds by getting upset or angry. I'm only going to change their minds if I work hard on my skating and make their words the lie I know they are."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Victor said, wrapping an arm around his daughter and pulling her close, "Let's find something better to watch."

He continued clicking through the channels until he found one playing cartoons, then he relaxed against the pillows with her leaned against his shoulder. When Yuuri returned to the room a short time later, he found Victor sleeping and Tora still leaned up against him, watching TV.

"Tora, are your things packed for the flight home?" he asked, "We're going to be picked up in about an hour."

"Mhmm," the girl answered, "I packed when I got up. Do you need help packing Daddy's things?"

"No, I've got it," Yuuri assured her, stepping over to the closet, "You just keep an eye on your dad and tell me if he needs anything."

"I will. But all he's actually doing is sleeping. Is he really all right, Yuuri-san? He doesn't usually sleep so much like this."

"Victor is going to be fine, just like he said," Yuuri insisted, "He just pushed himself too hard, learning Kiriyak's program and performing it in competition. That would be enough to make anyone exhausted. Victor just needs lots of good food and rest. He'll be on his feet and skating again in no time. I promise."

"Okay," Tora said, sounding only slightly less worried, "I don't like it when my Daddies are sick or hurt."

She made a sound of surprise as Yuuri froze for a moment and the clothes he was holding dropped softly to the floor.

"Yuuri-san, did I say something wrong?" she asked anxiously.

"N-no," Yuuri managed, his face twitching and his eyes blinking back tears, "Tora-chan just doesn't usually refer to me like that. I was surprised, that's all."

"Why would you be surprised?" Tora asked, hopping off the bed and walking over to help him pick up the fallen clothes, "You're married to my daddy, so you're my stepfather, right?"

"W-well, yes…at least in some places."

Victor's eyes cracked open and he watched the two wordlessly. He barely stifled a giggle as Tora gave Yuuri a scolding look that he had given his husband countless times before.

"Yuuri-san, don't be silly!" she chided him, "I don't care what anyone says, you and Daddy _are_ married and that makes you my daddy too. I just don't call you that because you have a special name I call you. I call you Yuuri-san, because you're my _Japanese_ daddy and you call me _Tora-chan_ because that's your special name for me. That way, you also know who I'm calling to when I yell for one of you."

"Th-that makes perfect sense," Yuuri said, smiling and blushing as Tora charged into his arms, making him drop the clothes again.

"I love you, Yuuri-san, and don't you forget it!" she scolded him, hugging him tightly.

"I love you too," Yuuri answered, sniffing and hugging her back, "and I promise I won't forget you love me also."

"Good," Tora said sternly, "Now I should help you get things ready to go."

"Thanks," Yuuri chuckled, "I'm glad to have the help. Here, why don't you take these out and put them with the stuff by the door."

"Okay," Tora answered, accepting the items and scampering out of the room.

Victor sat up in the bed and stretched.

"She's right, you know," he said, smirking, "You were being silly, Yuuri."

"Eh, you heard all of that?"

"Mhmm, that little girl loves you and you shouldn't ever doubt how much."

"I do know it," Yuuri said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "I only worry because of what could happen if something ever happened to you."

"Well, don't worry about that," Victor said firmly, "I've got everything in place if anything were to happen to me, so that you and Tora would never be separated. Not that I'm planning on going anywhere."

"Well, good, because I think both Tora and I have been through enough worries about you."

"What about you?" Victor asked, shaking his head, "Getting shot and scaring me out of my mind?"

Yuuri sighed and slipped a warm hand into Victor's.

"You know that things really can't settle until Kate is caught. Have you had any word from Detective Daniels lately?"

"Not since we left Japan," Victor admitted, "but she told me that she was very close to bringing down her father's organization. As soon as that happens, Kate's access to money and people will be cut off."

"I only wish that meant she would have to stop coming after us," Yuuri said anxiously, "But you know as well as I do that it could make her desperate, and we don't know what she'll do at that point."

Victor wrapped his arms around his husband and hugged him comfortingly.

"We have Sava and Artur, and Yuuri, we have each other," Victor said firmly, "We're going to be okay."

"I want to believe that," Yuuri said worriedly, "but Kate has already attacked us more than once, and you know that Detective Daniels believes Kate may be suicidal. That makes her even more dangerous."

"It does," Victor agreed, "but you need to have faith in the people protecting us. You need to trust in our love to see us through. Our love is stronger than Kate's hatred. It really is. We will look out for each other. We'll get through this, Yuuri."

"I hope you're right," Yuuri sighed, burying his face in Victor's shoulder, "Victor, I never knew that something so beautiful as our family was in my future. Now that we're here together, I don't want to lose this! I don't know how I ever could."

"I couldn't bear to lose you or Tora either," Victor agreed, holding him tightly, "But, all we can do is to be careful and look out for each other."

"I will," Yuuri promised, "and I really hope and pray that will be enough."

"Daddy? Yuuri-san?" Tora said from the bedroom doorway, "Sava says that everything is ready whenever we are ready to go."

Victor smiled.

"We'll be right there," he sighed, "It will be good to get home."

"Are you going to change out of your pajamas?" Yuuri asked.

Victor looked wearily down at his soft t-shirt and comfortable jogger pants.

"I'm too tired to change. I'll just put my jacket over the top. It'll be fine."

"Well, just so you know," Yuuri said, shaking his head, "there are some reporters hanging out in the lobby area."

"I think they'll understand," Victor decided, "Come, I want to go home now."

"Sava contacted Artur," Tora reported, "and we'll be picking Nico and him up on the way to the airport."

"Good, I need to talk to that boy about a couple of things," Victor chuckled.

"Victor!"


	31. Our Hearts Make a Home

**Chapter 31: Our Hearts Make a Home**

Victor opened one blue-green eye and read the time on the bedside clock. He looked over his shoulder and found Yuuri curled up warmly against his back and snoring softly.

 _God, he's cute when he's like this._

 _But, there's work to do._

He moved slowly, carefully dislodging himself from his husband's clutches and sliding out of bed. He bit back a yelp as he misjudged the edge and dropped gracelessly onto the floor. Tora's giggle sounded in the doorway and he shot her a flustered look and made a shushing gesture. Tora stifled another giggle as he picked himself up and the two crept out of the master bedroom of their St. Petersburg home and walked to the kitchen together, where they found Nico waiting for them.

"Are you two ready?" Victor asked.

"I am," Nico said, indicating a number of decorations set on the counter, "Tora and I can put up the decorations…"

"While I start preparing the food," Victor added, "It's a special day, after all."

"We'll make sure Yuuri-san has the best birthday ever!" Tora promised.

"We will," Victor agreed, "You two can decorate in here first, then we can do the rest of the house after."

"He's going to be so surprised!" Tora gushed, grabbing a box of decorations, "Come on, Nico! Before he wakes up."

"He's not going to sleep long with you being so loud, _Tigre_ ," Nico chuckled.

"Sorry. I'm just really excited. This is going to be so much fun!"

"Go on and get those decorations up, you two," Victor laughed.

Victor turned his attention to the preparation of the food, starting with a cake he made from scratch, using a family recipe. He then prepared a number of appetizers and put them in the refrigerator while he started making Yuuri's favorite dish.

 _It was so nice of Hiroko to show me how to make this when I fell in love with pork cutlet bowls after having my first one at Yu-topia Katsuki. Now, I don't think I could survive without katsudon, and I know I wouldn't survive without Yuuri._

Victor's smile faded slightly as he recalled Yuuri's recent injury.

 _I almost lost him because of my own stupidity, and because of Kate's hatred. Antonia hasn't been in touch with me since we arrived home. The last thing she said was that she was about to take her father's group down. That was a week ago and there's been no word, no hint of what's happened. We're closely watched here, so I feel like we're pretty safe, but who knows really? I thought we were safe before._

He turned his attention to making the katsudon, and soon the two children returned to the kitchen to help.

"Tora, why don't you two set the table?" Victor requested.

"Got it!" Tora hollered, pausing to turn the kitchen radio on.

A Russian pop song came on and Victor started to sing, while the two teens danced as they set four places at the table. At the stove, Victor's hips swayed in time to the music and he continued to sing. He stepped away from the stove to let the contents of the pots and pans cook while he grabbed Tora's hand and pulled her into a frisky club dance while Nico laughed and finished setting the table. Victor and Tora were still dancing together, when a sleepy-eyed Yuuri came out of the bedroom and found them frolicking around the kitchen together.

"What's all this?" he laughed.

"Yuuri!" Victor exclaimed, "Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday, Yuuri-san!" Tora and Nico shouted.

"The house looks great!" Yuuri said gratefully, "and are you cooking katsudon, Victor? For breakfast? That's so funny!"

"Well, you sleep until almost lunchtime and it's your favorite," Victor acknowledged, "so I made it just for you…well, actually for all of us, but mostly for you, my birthday boy!"

"That's great! I can't believe you guys did all of this. Thanks so much!" Yuuri exclaimed, grabbing Victor and hugging and kissing him, then hugging Tora and Nico.

"Happy birthday, Yuuri-san," Tora said again, kissing him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Tora-chan," Yuuri answered, giving her a kiss on the top of her head, "This is so nice of all of you."

"And after we have lunch," Victor said, "we'll all go to skate, but for fun today."

He gave Nico a sly wink.

"Tolenka will be training today," he snickered.

"Oh my god, _Victor_!" Yuuri chided him.

"What?" Victor said primly, "I promised the boy that I would help him meet Tolenka, and I am a man of my word. You wouldn't want me to be a liar, would you, Yuuri?"

"No, but…you don't want to end up sleeping on the couch again, do you, Victor?" Yuuri teased.

"Oh!" Victor yelped, placing one hand over his heart and one dramatically on his forehead, "Don't even tease me about that, _solnyshko_. I don't think my heart could take it!"

"Then, you had better behave yourself, hadn't you?" Yuuri said, smirking.

"Hmm," Victor huffed, fake-pouting, "all right. I suppose since it's your birthday, I have to…but I can't promise that nothing will happen when our boy meets Tolenka. After all, Nico is a true beauty on the ice. Tolenka will have no defense for someone like this."

He tilted his head, studying Nico for a moment.

"What?" the Latino youth said, shrugging.

"Ah," Victor said, nodding, "I've decided…"

"Uh-oh," Yuuri said, shaking his head, "Victor, you promised to behave!"

"I _am_ behaving," Victor laughed, "I was just saying that since Nico is now our son…"

"Nico isn't our son!" Yuuri objected.

His eyes widened as Victor clapped a hand over his mouth and gave him a pretend look of shock that made Nico and Tora giggle.

"How can you say that? He followed us home, the poor stray."

"He did not!" Yuuri laughed, "He's mostly only here because his parents figured he was safer under our protection than he was at home…which, I'm not sure about, considering."

"Minor details," Victor insisted, "Now, Nico is a member of the family and that means he is going to need a cool nickname. I am Vitya and we have our Katsudon and Tora. Nico needs a nickname too."

"A nickname?" Nico snickered, "But, Nico _is_ a nickname! My formal name is…"

"I have a better one!" Victor announced grinning widely, "When you hear it, you will thank me."

"Oh really?" Yuuri snorted agnostically.

"What is it? What is it?" Tora shouted excitedly.

"Well," said Victor, "in Russia, Nico's formal name would be Nicolai, and…the nickname we give to boys named Nicolai is…"

He paused for dramatic effect, then laid a hand on Nico's shoulder.

" _Kolenka_!" he announced, giving the boy a charming wink.

Tora squealed.

"Kolenka and Tolenka!" she howled, "Oh my god, that's so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!"

"Isn't it?" Victor laughed, "I think it's _perfect_!"

"I think Victor's lost it," Yuuri sighed, shaking his head.

He looked in Nico's direction for confirmation, then made a sound of surprise at the look of amusement on the Latino skater's face.

"I kind of like it," he admitted.

"Then, you are now Kolenka!" Victor affirmed, giving him a hug and a quick kiss on each cheek, "Welcome to the family!"

"We can call the two of you Kol oand Tol!" Tora laughed, "Or maybe just Kaka!" she added saucily.

"Oh, you little brat! You're asking for it," Nico said, narrowing his eyes playfully, "Better run."

Victor and Yuuri laughed as the two dashed away with Maccachin running after them and barking.

"Oh my god. They're so cute," Yuuri chuckled, unable to stop smiling.

"They're great, aren't they?" Victor agreed, hugging his husband from behind and kissing the side of his neck, "This house is so different, now that we're all here together. I am still sad that Sage was killed, but…I am also very, very grateful to her for giving us such happiness. I didn't know that things could get even better than just the two of us."

"Oh," Yuuri chided him, smirking, "I know you wanted a family even before."

"I didn't know how that could happen," Victor admitted, "though I confess I was giving it a lot of thought."

"Well, we have a family now," Yuuri sighed contentedly, nuzzling under Victor's chin.

He paused, peeking out in the direction the children had gone.

"But, I'm kind of worried," he added, "You haven't heard from Sage's sister, have you?"

"No."

"It's been a week, and when she last talked to us, she was about to take down her father's organization, right?"

"That is what she told me. Yes," Victor affirmed quietly.

"So, we probably should have heard something by now, right?"

Victor bit his lip gently, following the path of his husband's dark, worried eyes.

"We should have heard something," Victor agreed.

The two were silent for a moment.

"I hope she calls soon," Yuuri said finally, "We need to know what's happening."

"I will try to get in touch with her after our celebration today," Victor promised, "but for right now, I want you to focus on enjoying your birthday. We are home. We are with our family. We have protection and we have friends here. It will be all right, _solnyshko_. I promise it will."

"Okay," Yuuri sighed, burrowing into Victor's shoulder and breathing in his scent deeply, "I'll try to be patient."

"That's hard for me too," Victor assured him, taking Yuuri's frowning face in his hands and kissing him tenderly, "It took us a long time to get to this point, and we have such happiness now. We both want more than anything to protect that."

"Yeah," Yuuri agreed, forcing a smile as he spotted Nico and Tora running back towards the kitchen, "we do."

The children burst into the kitchen and Nico grabbed Tora around the waist, tickling her until she squealed and fell down on the floor, laughing.

"Stop it! That tickles!" she howled, playfully, flipping over and suddenly pinning Nico, "See how you like it!"

The two scrabbled on the floor as Victor and Yuuri watched for a moment, then Victor took the towel he had over one shoulder and snapped it, making the two stop and look at him.

"Time to eat," he announced, "Get to the table."

The two kids forgot their play and ran to the table, where they took their places as Yuuri sat down and Victor laid out their meal. In moments, the four were heavily involved in their meal and Maccachin ate his portion from his bowl nearby on the floor.

"Oh my god, this is so good!" Tora gushed with her mouth full, "It's as good as the ones in Hasetsu! Dad, you're a really good cook!"

"You are," Yuuri agreed enthusiastically, "This is so tasty!"

"Not as tasty as you are," Victor purred into his ear, making Yuuri blush.

"Daaa-ad!" Tora complained, rolling her eyes.

"What?" Victor asked innocently, "I said it into his ear. It was private."

"Yuuri-san doesn't like it. It embarrasses him," Tora said sternly, "You be nice."

"I was being nice," Victor giggled, "maybe just a little too nice. But, what do you expect? He's cute when he blushes."

"Stop it!" Yuuri laughed, blushing more darkly, "Eat your katsudon. It'll get cold."

The four finished their food and left the kitchen to prepare for the trip to the ice rink. They met in the house entry and left with their bodyguards walking quietly along with them. They reached the rink without incident and quickly put on their skates.

"Hi Yurio!" Tora called out as Yuri Plisetsky skated by and Victor, Yuuri and Nico waved in greeting.

"Stop calling me that stupid name!" Yuri complained, "Victor, you pain in the ass, you have them all doing it too."

"It's such a cute name," Victor teased, "It's perfect for you."

Yurio waved at Yuuri briefly.

"Happy birthday, pork cutlet bowl."

"Heh, thanks," Yuuri chuckled.

Victor finished putting on his skates and he followed Nico and Tora onto the ice, where the three warmed up together. Victor noticed Nico looking around the rink.

"He's getting his skates on, over there," Victor snickered, making Nico blush, "Kolenka, Tora, I want you do perform your exhibition program from before."

"Yuuri, put on the music and come skate it with me."

Yuuri's eyes widened.

"You want me to skate Tora's…"

" _Me Enamorè de ti_ ," Victor affirmed, taking up Nico's position as Yuuri prepared the music then, skated to join him.

Victor's lips curled into a little, satisfied smile as he spotted Tolenka with several friends, watching as the four began to skate to the music. Nico's heart pounded and he was sure he was blushing, but he shoved his nervousness aside and skated, letting himself sink into the love ballad and making his moves graceful. He focused steadily on Tora, though his mind went back to when Victor had forced him to skate Tora's part.

 _It was a little embarrassing, but it was heavenly to skate with Victor like that. I was flustered, but he's amazing._

A little shiver went through him as he felt Tolenka's warm blue-grey eyes watching him.

 _I learned a few things from skating with Victor. Seeing him perform my part made me realize that there were some places where I could improve. I was so flustered at the time, I didn't realize that Victor may have been teasing me, but he was also instructing me. I know it looks better than it ever has, and now…Tolenka is watching me._

 _Oh my god, I feel naked in front of him!_

He took a steadying breath and guided Tora into a beautiful lift as clapping and sounds of appreciation erupted around the rink. He set his smiling partner down and the four skaters finished with a flourish to the sounds of rapturous applause. Victor moved in close to Nico as Tolenka stepped onto the ice and skated towards them.

"All right," he said, smirking, "you have his attention. Just don't be too eager. Don't kiss on the first date. And have fun!"

"Hey," Tolenka greeted them, "that was pretty amazing. I know Tora, but who is this?"

"This is…" Victor began.

"It's _Nico_ ," Yuuri said firmly.

"But at home, we call him Kolenka," Victor said, biting at his lips to hide his smirk, "He's my new student from the USA."

"You're the American that Yakov said was going to be my new rinkmate?" Tolenka inquired.

"One and the same," Victor affirmed, "Now, if you will excuse us, Yuuri, Tora and I have some training to do. You and Nico can warm up together, if you like."

Tolenka gave Nico a cute smile, looking at him questioningly.

"Sure," he answered, "it's fine."

Tora giggled as the two skated off together.

"Tol and Kol, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g…"

"First comes love," Victor chimed in as Yuuri shot the two a disapproving look, "then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage!"

Victor took his daughter's hand and gave Yuuri a little nod.

"How about I start to teach you the program that your mother and I skated?" he asked.

Tora frowned.

"Don't we need Kolenka for that?" she asked.

"Not this time," Victor said, cupping a palm around his daughter's cheek, "This is the father/daughter version."

Yuuri started the music and instantly felt happy tears in his eyes as Victor guided Tora through the program.

 _They're so beautiful together._

 _Victor might not have been expecting it, but…he loves that little girl so much now. And he's become a really good father to her!_


	32. Secrets

**Chapter 32: Secrets**

Yuuri woke the next morning and he found himself smiling as he discovered a pretty rose laid on the pillow beside him, along with a note from Victor.

 _I hope you enjoyed your birthday yesterday, solnyshko, but I hope that I bring joy to your life every other day of the year too. Love you, Vitya_

He sat up in the bed, first burying his nose in the center of the fragrant offering from his husband, then setting it on the nightstand as he yawned and stretched. He climbed out of bed and picked out comfortable clothing for his practice, then headed into the bathroom, where he took off his pajamas, pausing to examine the mostly healed wound on his shoulder.

 _It doesn't hurt much anymore, but when I look at it, I feel that scared feeling of knowing that it's there because someone wanted to hurt Tora and Nico. I'm just glad that the bullet hit me and not one of the children. They've been through too much._

He put on his workout clothes, then ran a comb through his hair and finished his morning hygiene. His body reached full wakefulness by the time he left the bedroom and walked out into the living room, where he found Tora and Kolenka watching something on the television and giggling as they appeared to be trying to do some dance moves. The two startled as they noticed him, and Tora clicked off the video they had been watching. He noted the little blush on their faces and his eyes narrowed.

"All right," he said with mock sternness, "what's going on? What are you two up to?"

"Erm, w-well," Tora said, coloring more, "ah…Yuuri-san, you see, Kolenka and I want to..um, we want to do something special to surprise Daddy."

"You want to surprise Victor?" Yuuri asked.

He paused, tilting his head and giving them a probing look.

"Is it a _good_ surprise?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Kolenka exclaimed, "Tora and I are choreographing a little ice dance to do just after we perform the ice dance that Victor is teaching us. We were just watching some videos and laying down the moves we want to use for the performance."

"That sounds great," Yuuri said, his smile returning, "Will you show me?"

Kolenka flinched and went silent, but Tora gave her curious father a bright smile taken directly from Victor's own repertoire.

"No way!" she laughed, "We want _you_ to be surprised too, Yuuri-san. Please don't tell Daddy anything."

"W-well, I won't if you don't want me to," Yuuri agreed, "but if you are going to choreograph a little program, then you'll need extra ice time to work on it, right?"

"Yes, exactly," Tora said excitedly, "We wanted to talk to you about how to do that, because Daddy doesn't want us to go anywhere without our bodyguard, and we do want to be safe. We just don't want Daddy or you to see this before it's ready for the exhibition."

"Hmm," said Yuuri, frowning slightly, "Do you have someone experienced to help you with the program?"

"Oh, yes, we do," Tora assured him, glancing at Kolenka.

"And, who is that?"

Tora bit her lip to hide an attacking smile.

"Yurio said that he would help us with it," she announced.

" _Yurio_?" Yuuri repeated, looking equal parts surprised and perplexed, "Yurio offered to help you with your program? Tora, are you sure this is a good surprise? Sometimes Yurio doesn't have the best judgment about that."

"Well, he's not the one doing the choreography. He's just making sure that it all looks good when we perform it. Oh, and Vaska's mom, you know, she teaches ballet…"

"Right," Yuuri acknowledged, "Victor said that he was going to have her instruct you and Nico."

"It's _Kolenka_ , Yuuri-san!" Tora chided him.

"Oh, right," Yuuri chuckled, "Kolenka, then."

"She's meeting with us for some extra sessions."

"Okay," replied Yuuri, "you and Kolenka just make sure that you have one of the guards with you, wherever you go."

"We will," Tora promised, "Just, can you help us keep Daddy from figuring out what our surprise is?"

"I don't know," Yuuri joked, smirking at her, "It's hard to get something like that past Victor. What're you two going to do for me?"

The two children exchanged glances and shrugged.

"What do you want us to do?" she asked.

"I was kidding," Yuuri laughed, "I was just teasing you. I'll be happy to help you surprise Victor. It'll be fun to see what you come up with. And if Yurio's involved, then it will probably be a big surprise. You _did_ say it was nothing bad, though, right?"

"It's nothing bad," Tora promised, "We'll make sure it's a great performance."

"I know you will," Yuuri assured her, "Now, the two of you need to stop what you're doing and get ready for school. Vaska and Raya should be here soon to meet you."

"All right, Yuuri-san," Tora agreed, slipping the DVD they'd been watching out of the player and hurrying off to her bedroom with Kolenka following.

Yuuri turned into the kitchen and made a quick breakfast, then he called the children to the table and they ate the meal he'd prepared, before meeting Raya and Vaska outside to walk to the school. Yuuri left the house and jogged to the ice rink, where he found his husband, already hard at work, training. Victor smiled at his husband's arrival and quickly finished the set of moves he was practicing, then he joined Yuuri at the edge of the rink, while Yuuri donned his skates. Victor skated with him as he warmed up, then the two began to work on Yuuri's program.

"There's some good talent this year in the Japanese nationals competition," Victor noted, "Of course, there's Minami, who gets better each time we see him. Then, there are Riku and Kaito, who have both been improving steadily. None of them are quite at your level, but if you get nervous and mess up…"

"Then, they could beat me," Yuuri acknowledged, "Don't worry. I'm not going to get anxious."

"Are you sure?" Victor asked.

"Yeah," Yuuri answered, nodding, "I don't know, somehow having my life threatened and being shot makes competition just seem a lot less scary."

He felt a twinge of remorse at the guilty look his comment brought to Victor's handsome face.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean…"

Victor shook his head, brushing off the quick apology.

"You should never have been in that situation," Victor said solemnly, "I acted irresponsibly and you, Tora and Kolenka almost paid the price for it. That wound on your shoulder reminds me every day of the consequences that my actions could have caused."

"It's really okay now," Yuuri assured him.

"Are you sure it doesn't hurt, Yuuri?"

"It doesn't hurt," Yuuri said firmly, "Come on, now. We're supposed to be training together."

"Come then, _solnyshko_ ," Victor invited him, taking his hand, "Let's get working."

For the next several hours, the two worked on the elements of Yuuri's program, then they focused on jumps and spins until their heads were spinning and Victor was panting and out of breath. They left the ice rink and walked over to the gym to work with the weights there, then enjoyed a leisurely meal at a nearby café before walking back to the house, where Tora and Kolenka were just arriving home.

"Hi Daddy!" Tora called out, running to hug Victor, then Yuuri, "Hi, Yuuri-san!"

"How was your day?" Victor asked as they walked into the house and the children dropped their backpacks onto the couch in the living room.

"It was pretty good," Tora assured him, following as Victor and Yuuri led the kids into the kitchen for an afternoon snack, "Vaska was really helpful translating what I didn't understand, and I hung out with him and his friends at lunch. There are a couple of stupid boys who say rude things in Russian and Vaska talks back to them for me. He's teaching me how to do it without using bad words."

"Vaska is a good boy," Victor said, his blue-green eyes looking briefly saddened at the mention of Kiryak's son, "but are you sure you don't need me to go and talk to someone?"

"No, Daddy," Tora said, shaking her head, "They're not really bullying or anything, and if they do, Mommy told me to make sure to tell an adult and don't just let them bully me."

Victor smiled gently.

"Your mother was very smart," he commented, "She raised you to be the same way, didn't she?"

"I guess," Tora said, blushing, "but I have to learn a lot more to catch up with how smart she was."

"I think I would too," Victor joked.

"You're really smart too," Tora complimented him.

"Well, thank you," Victor chuckled, "I'm glad to hear that."

"You and Mom are just smart in different ways."

"Is that so?" Victor asked as the four walked into the kitchen and Tora and Nico poured hot cocoa for everyone, while Yuuri and Victor prepared warmed some cookies.

"Mmhmm," Tora affirmed, sitting down at the table.

She took a swallow of warm cocoa.

"You both love skating and both you and Mom got really good at it, but you know more about competition and Mom knew more about skating in groups with different partners. You know more about dogs and she knew more about cats."

"She probably knew way more about how to raise a child," Victor sighed, taking a bite of a warmed cookie and a swallow of cocoa.

"Well, she had me since I was a baby," Tora reasoned, "She had more time to learn everything. I just got left at your house and nobody even told you that you were my father."

"I think you've learned pretty quickly," Yuuri commented.

"With a few hiccups?" Victor offered, smirking.

"Huh, yeah, a few," Yuuri agreed, shaking his head, "but I guess all of us could learn a thing or two."

"That's nice of you to say," Victor acknowledged, "but getting back to school, what do you think is the hardest subject, Tora?"

"Right now?" Tora mused, "I think both history and language are hard, because I'm just learning Russian and history is a lot of reading and learning in Russian. I think if Vaska wasn't there I wouldn't be able to keep up. He's really nice, Daddy. He doesn't pick on me when I make mistakes and he's never mean to me at all."

"Well, he'd better not be," Victor snickered, "or he'll have to deal with me."

"Daddy!" Tora giggled.

She paused, making a sound of dismay and Victor frowned.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, not really," Tora said, hastily setting down her cookie, "I just asked Vaska to come over to do homework. I hope that's okay. I knew you and Yuuri-san would be home."

As if to punctuate her words, the doorbell rang.

"That's him!" Tora squealed, blushing.

"Goodness, what a reaction," Victor chuckled, good naturedly, "Should I start getting overprotective now?"

"No!" Tora laughed, blushing more furiously.

"Are you going to answer that?" Victor asked, "Or do you want your father to go and browbeat the boy for a few minutes while you get ready for your homework date?"

"It's not a date!" Tora exclaimed, throwing a small bit of cookie at him.

"Victor," Yuuri said warningly.

"What? I was kidding!" Victor said, widening his eyes and shrugging as Tora charged to the front door and threw it open.

"Hi, Vaska!" she greeted her friend, "Thanks for coming to help me out. Do you want some hot cocoa and cookies?"

"That sounds good," Vaska said, with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "Thank you, Tora."

He paused and said his thank you again in Russian and Tora gave the appropriate Russian reply.

"Come on. The cookies are in here."

She led the gentle-eyed boy into the kitchen.

"Hello, Vaska," Victor said warmly, "Come and join us."

"Thank you, Mr. Nikiforov," Vaska said politely.

"I told you that since I'm coaching you, you can just call me Coach Victor or even just Victor."

"O-okay, Coach Victor," the youth answered, still looking at him as though he couldn't quite believe he and the Russian legend were talking so casually.

"Hi, Vaska!" Kolenka called out.

"Hi."

Kolenka glanced at Victor.

"I'm done, and Tolenka wants me to meet him at the ice rink to skate together for awhile."

"We're going over with Tora and Vaska after they work on homework," Yuuri said, frowning, "Why don't you just go with us then?"

"Homework first," Victor said firmly, "then dating."

"Victor!" Yuuri complained.

"Well, we don't want the boy pining away and flunking out of school. That's not why his parents entrusted him to us."

"You'd best go and do your homework first, especially since it also helps you to have Vaska here to help you with the things that are in Russian."

"Aw, dang!" Kolenka sighed.

"Don't worry," Vaska said, smiling a bit bigger, "I'll help you with yours while Tora and I are working. We'll get it done fast."

"Thanks," Kolenka chuckled.

The three children finished their snack, then picked up their backpacks and headed for the study. Yuuri and Victor cleaned up in the kitchen, then curled up on the sofa in the living room and turned the television on.

"Victor," Yuuri said as his husband nuzzled his cheek and stole a kiss, "are you really sure you're up to the extra work of coaching me and also the kids? I mean, you're still competing, yourself, and you are coming off an injury, just like I am."

"I'm fine now, I promise," Victor assured him, "I got lots of rest after we got back home, and you and the kids spoiled me to death for almost a week."

Victor glanced in the direction that the children had gone, then he looked back at Yuuri.

"I heard from Detective Daniels," he said more softly.

"You did?" Yuuri asked, looking at him hopefully, "What did she tell you?"

"She said that she has shut down her father's organization," Victor explained, "but they weren't able to locate Kate. She isn't going to have the resources she did before, but she may have some hidden money and a stolen identity that could get her close to us. We are going to have to be very careful."

Yuuri swallowed hard and nodded.

"Do you think we should put the exhibition on hold until she's caught?" he asked worriedly.

"We really can't," Victor explained, shaking his head, "We've already released promotional materials and gotten advertising. There is a lot of interest in Tora and Kolenka, especially since the viral video of Kolenka skating with me."

"I don't know," Yuuri sighed.

"We'll be really careful," Victor assured him, "We've already hired extra security for the event, and I'll be adding a couple of security guards, so that each of the four of us will have someone watching. We will be all right, Yuuri. We can't stop living, just because someone is threatening us. We are celebrities, who live in the public eye. We can take precautions, but we have to be out there performing, or it all ends for us."

Yuuri nodded briefly in resignation.

"I know you're right," he said finally, "I just…we're so happy like we are. Everything feels so good the way it is now, with us and Tora and Nico. I don't want anything bad to happen."

"Then," Victor said, kissing him warmly on the frowning mouth, "we won't let it. I think we're strong enough as a family to get through this."

"I hope so," Yuuri whispered, burying his face in Victor's shoulder.

"We will be," Victor said reassuringly, "I promise you."

"You'd better keep that promise!"


	33. Don't Close Your Eyes

**Chapter 33: Don't Close Your Eyes**

Victor skated backwards, gaining speed, not even having to look to know that Yuuri was moving in perfect time with him. The two men executed side-by-side turns, the launched their bodies into the air, executing quad flips, then landed and moved immediately into side-by-side triple toe loops.

"That was _perfect_!" Victor gushed, sliding to a stop, "This is going to look so good in the exhibition skate!"

"You think so?"

"Oh, I know so," Victor laughed, hugging him, "This is going to be so much fun. I can't believe it's only a few days away, then you and I will be performing together and introducing our children to the world!"

"Heh, heh," Yuuri chuckled, "You _do_ know that only Tora is really ours, right?"

"Details," Victor snickered, kissing Yuuri on the cheek, then dipping him and going for a deeper, open mouthed exchange.

"Mmmmm, you're pretty worked up today," Yuuri said in a flustered voice, a blush coming to his face, "We should practice more. It'll be time to go meet the kids soon."

"Right. They need to get in some extra practice too."

"They've been working really hard, getting ready for the exhibition," Yuuri noted.

Victor nodded.

"We'll make sure they can wind down after. Maybe we could sneak away for a trip to Japan?"

"We're still not out of the skating season, you know," Yuuri reminded him.

"Okay, fine, but when we are, we're going on a family vacation."

"That's sounds great, Victor," Yuuri said, hugging him, "But, c'mon, we still have to practice for the exhibition."

"Give me a moment. I just need a bit of water. My throat is dry."

Victor skated to the side of the rink and grabbed his water bottle, then he noticed that several messages had been left on his phone. He touched a button to hear the message.

 _An automated alert from Tora's school?_

" _This message is for all parents. The school is currently being evacuated, due to a fire in the sciences building. All students are being boarded onto buses and taken to the Cornerstone Community Center. Parents are asked not to come to the school for pickup or information. Information and access to students will be granted with proper identification only."_

His heart in his throat, Victor went to the next message, barely noticing that Yuuri had stopped skating and was moving to join him.

"What's going on?" he asked anxiously.

"There was a fire at Tora's school," Victor said, touching the button to play the message.

" _Mr. Nikiforov, this is Agent Morris of the Detroit Police Department. I was asked by Detective Daniels to call you and to tell you that she has been injured in an altercation and she suspects that you and your family are in danger. She recommends that you take whatever precautions you can immediately."_

Victor's face went sheet white.

"Victor?" Yuuri whispered.

"Something happened to Detective Daniels," Victor explained, "She thinks we're in grave danger. Yuuri…there was a fire at Tora's school. The children are being evacuated!"

"Oh my god! Do you think it's Kate?" Yuuri gasped, his eyes rounding.

"I don't know, but we need to get the children now, Yuuri! You find Artur and go to the community center. They're taking all of the children there to be released to parents."

"Where are you going?" Yuuri asked worriedly.

"I am going to the school. I know they told parents not to go there, but if, for some reason, the children aren't at the community center, the school is where we might find some answers."

"All right. Be careful, Victor."

"You too, _solnyshko_. Be safe. Stay with Artur."

Victor and Yuuri changed swiftly back into their street shoes, then raced out of the building. Yuuri headed to the parking lot, while Victor broke into a run in the direction of the children's school. He was already almost halfway there when his phone rang and he saw Yuuri's name and picture displayed on the screen. He continued at a run, but picked up the call.

"What is it, Yuuri?"

"Victor!" Yuuri exclaimed in a frantic tone, "I got to the car and Artur was knocked out. There was a note that says, "The games are over. I tried calling Sava for help, but he's not answering!"

"Oh god!" Victor panted, running faster, "Take care of Artur and get to the community center quickly. We need to know if Tora is there or not. I'm going to try calling, but I probably won't get an answer, because she doesn't have it on at school. Still, she may turn it on in an emergency."

"Okay," Yuuri said hastily, "Yakov's here with Artur. I'm heading on to the school."

Victor ended the call and touched the speed dial button for his daughter's phone, not expecting an answer. To his surprise, the line connected, and Tora's scared voice sounded on the other end.

"D-daddy?"

"Baby, are you all right?" Victor asked, continuing to run, "I'm on my way. Are you at the school or the community center?"

Victor slid to a stop as a dark colored sedan stopped along the side of the road ahead of him, and Kate's voice came on the line.

"She's in the car ahead of you. Walk to the car and get in."

 _Damn it! I wonder what happened to Sava. He was at the school._

"Did you hurt Sava?" Victor asked quietly.

"Your bodyguard was distracted by the fire alarm. Walk to the car, Victor."

The car door opened ahead of him and he spotted Tora sitting inside, her wrists and ankles bound together. He moved forward, slowing as he made out the shape of a person's hand holding a gun that was aimed at the bound girl.

"Let her go," Victor said calmly, stopping as he reached the car, "Your disagreement is with me, not her. Tora hasn't done anything to anyone."

"That _girl_ shouldn't exist!" Kate growled, "Get in, or I'll shoot her."

"Daddy!" Tora squealed.

"It's going to be all right," Victor said, climbing in beside her and closing the door.

He placed a comforting arm around Tora as the door locks clicked loudly and a touch on the door handle revealed that the child proof locks in the back seat had been engaged. The car pulled away from the curb and Kate headed out of town, driving towards a nearby wooded area.

"Kate," Victor said solemnly, "I know you're angry with me, but you also know that Tora is just an innocent child."

"Huh…my sister was innocent too," Kate said sourly, "Once you touched her, she was dead to me. You and that little abomination deserve no better!"

"Why are you so hateful?" Victor asked, keeping his voice calm, and one hand caressing his daughter's back bracingly, then slipping down to touch the ropes that bound her wrists, "Tora had no choice about anything that happened. Sage and I made our own choices. If you want to punish someone for that, it should be me."

"Daddy, no!" Tora managed in a sobbing whisper.

"It will be okay," Victor assured her, petting the long strands of her silvery hair, "You're going to be okay, I promise."

Kate met the Russian man's eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Maybe you shouldn't be making promises that you can't keep," she warned him.

"I don't see why we can't be reasonable about this," Victor said, "You've never explained why you've gone to so much trouble to harm us. You've stalked us for months, following us around the world. You probably could have done this much more easily, without hurting anyone else."

"Hah! Maybe if my other ridiculous sister hadn't turned traitor on the family too, but I'm sure you heard that she has been dealt with. People who betray our family pay the price…and _you_ are about to pay the ultimate price."

"How did I betray your family?" Victor asked, "I loved Sage."

"You didn't _love_ her! You went to bed with her! That isn't love. That is an insult to our name!"

"I did love your sister," Victor insisted, "I would have continued to see her…"

"You would have continued to sleep with her!" Kate accused him.

"And why is that a bad thing for two people who love each other?" Victor asked, "Was it that I am not American? Was it that I'm a figure skater? Why? Why was your father so determined to punish us that…that he sent you to kill her, and now me?"

Victor didn't miss the little flicker of uncertainty that registered in their captor's bloodshot eyes.

"You look tired, Kate," he said, looking into her eyes, "Can't we stop and talk about this?"

"What is there to talk about?" Kate asked, her voice deepening and becoming more masculine, "Orders are orders. There is no question that they must be obeyed."

Victor's breath caught almost audibly.

"You…didn't want to do it, did you?" he asked impulsively.

Kate's eyes darkened hatefully in response.

" _Orders are orders!_ " Kate shouted in a now fully male voice, making Tora cringe and burrow into Victor's side, whimpering, "If you can't obey, then you don't deserve this legacy!"

Victor swallowed hard, his heart pounding as the car turned onto a solitary looking dirt road. He worked more urgently to loosen the girl's bonds.

"It was your father's order," he concluded, "You didn't want to hurt Sage, did you?"

"What do _you_ know?" Kate hissed angrily.

"I know what's right in front of me," Victor said more firmly, "You loved your sister, didn't you? You didn't want to hurt her, but…he ordered you to kill her?"

Kate slammed on the brakes suddenly, throwing Victor and Tora roughly into the backs of the front seats. Tora screamed and Victor took hold of her possessively.

"Are you okay?" he asked, panting as his arm and side stung from the impact, "Are you all right, Tora?"

"I th-think so," the little girl stammered, "Daddy, I'm scared!"

Victor leaned close and kissed the top of her head, whispering into her ear.

"I'm scared too. We have to breathe slowly and keep thinking. I'm loosening the ropes, but try not to move too much, okay? She's going to try to take us out of the car. I'm going to distract her and you have to try hard to get free and go get help. Do you understand?"

Tora's face paled, but she managed a short nod.

Kate climbed out of the car and walked to Victor's side of the vehicle. As she opened the door, Victor threw his body against it, striking their captor and knocking her to the ground. He dove out of the car, his hands grabbing the wrist of the hand that held the gun.

"Daddy!" Tora sobbed, struggling with the ropes and pulling one hand free.

"Get free, Tora! Run!" Victor gasped, working to trap Kate's body with his.

Their captor twisted and drove a knee into his side that was still smarting from being injured in the car. Victor made a sound of pain, but managed to keep a grip on Kate's wrist as they twisted and fought each other. The gun went off and Tora screamed again.

"DADDY!"

Victor's fingers curled around Kate's and he forced her hand down, then made the gun fire a second time, then a third.

Tora's second hand pulled free, and she reached down to work at the bonds on her feet.

"Hurry, Tora!" Victor panted, forcing the gun to fire another round.

Kate turned suddenly driving a fist into Victor's already bruised ribs, making him cringe and grunt in agony. She tore he wrist free and swiftly turned the weapon on him. The Russian skater froze, staring silently down the barrel of the slightly shaking weapon. Kate staggered to her feet, backing away and looking around for Tora, who was just pulling the last of the ropes off and diving out the door on the far side of the car.

"STOP!" Kate ordered her, firing the weapon at Victor, who gasped and scrambled away, trying to reach the nearby trees.

"RUN, TORA!" Victor cried.

He reached the trees and took cover behind one as Kate entered the area behind him.

"I have a lot more bullets to use on you," she taunted him, "And I'll have plenty left over to finish her off too."

Sweat broke out on Victor's forehead and he caught an ominous coppery scent, then felt blood leaking down one arm.

"I can just follow the trail of blood, you know," Kate said mockingly, "Or, I could just let you hide and bleed to death while I go and find _her_. You never should have put your hands on my sister. _You_ did this. _You_ made all of this happen, you bastard! You know, you were right when you said I didn't want to kill her. The truth is that was the last thing I wanted to do. I loved Sage. She was the only one who understood."

Victor shivered and stepped carefully back as he heard Kate closing in.

"I couldn't talk to father about anything but business."

He heard a sudden crunching of leaves to his other side and spotted Tora crouching behind another of the trees, biting at her lips and crying silently. Kate turned in the direction of the sound, and Victor stepped out into the open.

"I know," he said, clenching his teeth as Kate whipped around and took aim on him, "Sage was very understanding. She was so kind and thought of everyone but herself. She was such a loving, accepting person."

Kate stared at him through dazed eyes, reeling at the memory.

"Sh-she gave me a dress."

"She did?" Victor inquired, keeping his eyes focused carefully on Kate's, "What was it like?"

"It was her yellow one."

"The yellow one?" he asked.

"I didn't want to take it from her. It was her favorite. But, she insisted, and she said she'd never tell…she…always kept our secrets."

"She didn't tell your father about Kate?"

"No," Kate said, a tear leaking onto her face, "Daddy never would have understood. He only wanted John. She knew that, and she protected me."

Victor stared back at Kate wordlessly as dark emotion filled her expression again and she lifted the gun higher, aiming between his eyes.

"I wanted to protect her too…but…you…Daddy…the crash…the fire…and _her_!"

"You blame Tora for…?"

"She could have saved herself, but she saved that damned girl! She lived and my beautiful, beautiful sister…she…the fire…she…burned…in the fire."

Kate's body shook with hard sobs and she tightened her hand on the gun, preparing to shoot.

"You should have left her alone and that stupid girl should never have been born!" Kate sobbed, "You ruined EVERYTHING! I lost her and I lost myself. It's all gone now…Mommy, Daddy and my sisters."

"Antonia…?"

"She'll die too," Kate said, swaying slightly, "It will happen soon. Not that you'll be around to know. Come closer, Victor. Come and look at the face of your death."

Victor's pounding heart stopped as Tora stepped out of the trees behind Kate and crept towards her, carrying a large rock in her hand.

 _Oh…no…no, Tora…no…_

"I said, come here," Kate repeated.

Victor moved forward, timing his steps to his daughter's, his chest aching to scream, but his face carefully composed.

"That's it," Kate said, his lips curling into a cruel smile, "Come."

He stopped in front of her, holding his breath as Tora raised the rock into the air, over her head.

At the last moment, Kate started to turn, seeming to sense what was happening. Victor struck instantly, tackling her and grabbing wildly for the weapon as Tora screamed and struck at her with the rock. The rock impacted the side of their attacker's face as she fell, throwing her to the side, but also throwing Victor off balance. For a sickening moment, the gun turned in Tora's direction, but at that moment, a blur of blue color flashed out of the trees and took Tora to the ground.

"LET GO!" the girl howled, "DADDY!"

"Tora, it's me!" Yuuri panted.

The two peeked ahead of them, where Kate straddled Victor's body and held the gun to the Russian skater's forehead. Blood streamed down from a wound on her head and she swayed dangerously.

"I guess you managed to save her," Kate gurgled, twitching ominously, "But you are going to…"

A gunshot sounded and Kate tipped over, collapsing onto the ground as Victor recovered himself enough to kick her gun away. Sava stepped out of the trees, holding his weapon still aimed at Kate's twitching, gurgling body.

"Daddy!" Tora gasped softly, leaving Yuuri's arms to stagger to him, "Daddy, you're bleeding!"

Victor climbed to his knees as Tora dropped down to hug him tightly.

"I'm okay," he said shakily. I'll be okay."

"Thank god for the GPS on you two," Yuuri sighed in relief, "We wouldn't have found you in time."

"We need to get you two checked out at a hospital," Sava said firmly, "I've called for help."

Victor pulled his sobbing daughter to his shoulder and rubbed her back with the arm he could move.

"It's okay," he whispered into her ear, "I'm here. Yuuri's here. We're okay now."

"You're not okay!" Tora whimpered, "Your arm…"

"It's fine. It'll be fine. I promised you I wouldn't leave you."


	34. Artermath

**Chapter 34: Aftermath**

 **(I had the song "Aftermath" by Koethe playing while I was writing this and it just felt right for it. If you haven't checked out Koethe on YouTube, you should! :) He's amazing.)**

Victor flinched and gritted his teeth, his face sweating as a paramedic gently bound the wound on his upper right arm. Victoria remained pressed up tightly against his side, her face half buried in his shoulder.

"Does it hurt a lot, Daddy?" she asked worriedly, "There's a lot of blood."

"No," Victor lied, his breath hissing slightly as the medic finished wrapping his arm and laid it carefully in a sling, "it just stings when I move it or it gets bumped."

Victor gave Yuuri a concerned look.

"Have you been checked out, Yuuri?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm fine," his husband assured him, "I'm just scuffed a little from having to get Victoria and myself out of the way quickly."

"Thank you for protecting her," Victor said gratefully.

He looked up at Sava and nodded.

"And thank you for saving my life. One more second and…well, we don't need to be thinking about that. It's over."

Yuuri moved closer and sat down on Victor's other side, his fingers touching his partner's injured arm lightly.

"I'm glad it's just a flesh wound, but it still looks like it hurts. You were…really brave, Victor. Tora said that you kept her calm through everything."

"I didn't feel calm at all."

Victor tightened his hold on Tora and laid his head on Yuuri's shoulder.

"Are Nico and Vaska all right?" he asked with an edge of worry.

"They're fine," Yuuri assured him, "Nico doesn't go to the same school as Tora and nothing happened at his school. I think Kate was just focused on Tora. Vaska's mom said that he is safe. She picked up Vaska, then went and got Nico for us. He's going to stay with her until we get home."

Yuuri thought for a moment and chuckled softly.

"She said that Tolenka came home with Nico and is comforting him in all of his worry about the three of us."

"I'll bet he is," Victor snickered, recovering a measure of his sense of humor, now that the danger had passed, "You know, it was a stroke of genius, getting those two together. They're already an Internet sensation! Wait until they start competing!"

"I still don't approve of your meddling," Yuuri chided him, "but I have to admit, it's good to see both of them so happy."

"You see, I told you my plan for them would work."

"Yeah, you're a genius," Yuuri said dryly, "Just quit while you're ahead, okay?"

"I can't make any promises about that," Victor laughed softly, earning a little glare from his piqued spouse, "but I will try."

Yuuri glanced at the medic, who was cleaning up the medical supplies.

"Can we go now?" he asked, "Or should Victor go to the hospital to be checked out?"

"Victor will be fine," the medic assured him, "but um, when was your last tetanus shot?"

Victor paled.

"Ah…I think it was…"

"Has it been more than five years?" the medic asked.

Victor gritted his teeth.

"Y-yes?"

"Then, you'll need a booster," the man said, reaching into his medical bag.

"Oh, you don't need to do that," Victor said, leaning away as Tora moved to allow the man access to her father's uninjured arm, "Seriously, I can just…"

"Now, it's no big deal, just a little pinch," the medic said, preparing the syringe while Victor swallowed hard and paled more.

"You've been in an explosion and grazed by a bullet," Yuuri chided him, "I had to have one when I was shot. Don't be a baby, Vitya!"

"I'll hold your hand, Daddy," Tora offered.

"Will you?" Victor asked, giving her a sweet, helpless smile, "I don't like pointy things jabbing me."

"This'll only take a second," the medic chuckled, "Hold still, okay?"

Victor bit his lip and held his breath as the medic quickly gave him the shot, then the skater's face went white and he collapsed against Yuuri in a dead faint.

"Seriously?" Yuuri yelled at his senseless mate, "You look down the barrel of a _loaded gun_ without blinking, but you faint getting a shot? Victor!"

The medic shrugged.

"Everyone has their quirks," he laughed, "He'll be fine, but I would suggest he see his own doctor in the next few days to follow up."

"Thanks," Yuuri sighed, "I'll make sure he does."

The medic chuckled and broke a small capsule between his fingers, then held it under Victor's nose. A moment later, Victor's face scrunched in reaction and he flinched and turned his head away.

"Get that away from me!" he mumbled drowsily.

"Wake up, Daddy!" Tora chided him, "You scared me to death!"

"You don't look dead," Victor observed, tilting his head and squinting at her, "You look like…my very beautiful daughter!"

"Oh my god," Yuuri giggled, "Can we go home, now?"

He glanced at the police officers who had moved to join them after finishing their investigation and watching as Kate's body was carefully removed from the scene.

"You are free to go," the lead investigator assured them, "We have your statements already. We will be in touch with you as soon as we complete our full investigation."

"Thank you," Victor said, holding on to Yuuri as his husband helped him to his feet.

He swayed unsteadily for a moment and Yuuri moved in to help him on one side, while Tora pressed up against the other.

"I can give you a ride home, if you like," the investigator offered.

"Oh, no, Sava brought the car," Victor said, looking to the bodyguard, who nodded.

The four walked quietly to the waiting vehicle and Yuuri and Sava helped Victor into the backseat, while Tora slid into the front. Sava moved on to take the driver's seat, while Yuuri climbed into the back with his husband. Victor sighed and rested wearily against Yuuri's shoulder. In the front seat, Tora's hands shook a little as she touched the area on her shirt, where Victor's blood had splashed it.

"Don't you worry about that, Miss Tora," Sava said reassuringly, "I have some experience with those kinds of stains. I'll get it out for you, all right?"

"Oh…thank you," Tora said softly, looking back over her shoulder at her exhausted parents, "I'm just glad Daddy didn't get hurt really bad."

She drew a shaky breath and looked back at the blood.

"Mr. Sava, do you think we're safe now that…?"

She paused, shuddering as a memory of Kate kneeling over Victor, holding the gun pointed at his face, flashed in her mind.

Sava gave her a gentle smile.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, Nico, Victor or Yuuri. I promise."

"Thank you," Tora said, tearing up and sniffing, "I was really scared when that lady came into my classroom. We were trying to get out because of the alarm, so everyone was distracted. I tried to do what we learned from you and Artur, you know, I tried resisting and shouting, and I tried to hit her in the eyes or nose or throat, but she seemed like she knew everything I was going to do. Th-then, she tied me up."

In the back seat of the car, Victor tensed and tightened his grip on Yuuri's hand.

"You were very smart and brave," Victor said shakily, "Sometimes, even doing all of the right things doesn't work, but the important thing is, you didn't panic and you were able to follow my instructions and get free like I told you to. Although, I remember telling you to run, not to try to attack Kate from behind like that."

"I…I tried to leave, b-but…but she was going to shoot you. I was s-so scared of that, I kind of forgot everything else."

Victor stiffened and Yuuri's eyes filled with tears as she went on.

"It was strange, almost like it wasn't really me, like it was someone else who could only think about stopping her from hurting Daddy."

Yuuri smiled and caressed Victor's hand tenderly.

"You know, my mom used to tell me stories when I was little, and she once told me that it was okay that I got anxious and scared a lot. She said that even though I got scared, I didn't have to feel helpless, because when you're at your most frightened place and you feel frozen, then the spirits of the people who you love, the people who inspire you…they are all there with you, to keep you strong inside. I think that's what gave you courage, and you did save Victor from being shot."

"But, then she just got on him again and…"

"Sava stopped her," Victor said firmly, "You are the reason that Yuuri and Sava had time to reach us. Thank you, Tora."

The four were quiet as the car carried them back home and they exited and entered the house.

"Tora, why don't you go and shower?" Victor suggested.

He saw the little shiver that went through her and the uncertain look in her eyes.

"Sava, please stand guard outside her room."

"Of course," Sava said kindly, "Come, Miss Tora."

Victor and Yuuri watched as the two headed down the hallway, then they entered the master bedroom and walked into the bathroom. Neither spoke as Yuuri turned to his husband and very slowly removed his torn and bloody clothing. He started the shower and removed his own clothing, then led Victor in and the two embraced under the steamy spray.

"I understand how Tora feels," Victor said finally, "I know Kate is gone, but…"

"But it will be awhile before we feel safe again," Yuuri finished, "It'll be okay now."

"I know. At least, in my head, I know that. But…I keep remembering everything and…Yuuri, there were a thousand different things that could have ended us before Sava finally shot Kate. There were so many moments that I was scared to death it would be the last time that we were all together."

"I was scared too," Yuuri sighed, holding Victor tightly and rubbing his back and bottom, "I didn't know from moment to moment if I might have lost you both."

"We're home now. We're safe," Victor whispered into Yuuri's ear, "Kate can't hurt us or threaten us anymore."

"Right," Yuuri agreed, stepping back and taking his husband's beautiful face in his wet hands, "and I plan to spend every day, from now on, showing you how glad I am that we all are okay. I love you."

Victor managed a warmer smile and hugged Yuuri tightly to him. His lips curved into a smirk as he breathed his next words into Yuuri's ear.

"Does that appreciation include a lot of sex?"

"Victor!" Yuuri laughed, swatting him away playfully, "Stop it! We need to finish up here and go comfort Tora."

"We'll get to that," Victor assured him as he kissed Yuuri's throat tenderly, "But first, I need to be comforted and so do you. We will give Tora everything she needs, but we won't do that at the expense of what each of us needs."

Yuuri went silent as Victor's hands followed the words and the two kissed more fervently. The steam in the shower thickened as the two kissed and touched, then slowly joined their bodies for a deeper comfort that they knew existed nowhere else. They held each other for a long time afterward, offering gentler kisses as their bodies calmed again.

"Yuuri, I was thinking…"

"Hmm?"

"I want you to make a baby somehow."

Yuuri blinked in surprise.

"What?" he yelped, stepping back, "Victor! That's kind of out of the blue, isn't it?"

"Not really," Victor said, taking his husband's cute face in his hands, "I just think that a baby of yours would be adorable, don't you?"

"And who's going to have this baby?" Yuuri huffed, "You don't just go up to a woman and ask her, _Excuse me, will you have my baby for me, please?_ Idiot!"

"Yuko said she would."

Yuuri's eyes rounded.

"You _asked Yuko to have my baby?_ " he howled, "Are you nuts? When? How? Wha…Did she really say she would?"

Victor nodded.

"She and Takeshi have decided that the triplets are all of the children that they want, but she said that she really liked when she was pregnant, and she would be especially happy to know that she was helping us to have a baby."

"I can't _believe_ you were talking to Yuko about this…and…and that Takeshi didn't just kill you for something like that!"

"Well, I got him drunk first," Victor snickered, "Then, when he was sober and we reminded him, he couldn't really argue about it. He did, after all, agree in front of witnesses."

"Oh my god, Victor, do you not see that is just the kind of manipulation you always…!"

"Shh," Victor said, kissing Yuuri's angry, scowling mouth, "I want a little Yuuri-baby, one that we can spoil and raise together. Do you really not like that idea, Yuu-ri?"

"What I don't like is you manipulating people," Yuuri scolded him, "And sneaking around behind my back manipulating people."

He paused, looking into his husband's hopeful eyes.

"I do admit, though…I…have been a little envious sometimes of you and Tora. I mean, I love her, and I know that she loves me just as much. But…I've always wanted to give Victor a part of me that can blossom and change the way Tora has, just in the time she's been with us. Even though I don't like the way you went about this, I want it too."

He swallowed hard, blushing.

"B-but…ah…"

"We'll be using in vitro fertilization," Victor giggled, "You don't have to sleep with her. That would be adultery, you know."

"Victor!"

"You're so cute when you're flustered, Yuuri!" Victor purred, "Let's have some more sex, okay?"

"Later, we need to get back to Tora."

Yuuri gasped as he saw blood leaking down his husband's injured arm.

"And you're bleeding again!" he exclaimed, grabbing Victor by the other arm, "Come on and let me clean and bandage that again!"

"All right," Victor chuckled, "You don't have to panic. It's just a little bleeding, not like the pouring out blood it was before."

"Eew, Victor, stop it! That's gross!" Yuuri complained, pulling him out of the shower and slipping and sliding across the floor to go find the medical kit.

Victor smiled and dried the rest of his body, then he took a dark colored hand towel and patted the bleeding area more carefully.

"Don't do that!" Yuuri chided him, grabbing the hand towel and tossing it aside, "Here, let me take care of it."

Victor watched silently as Yuuri carefully dried the wound, then dressed it as the medic had before.

"There. That should be good, now. Does it hurt?"

"Not really. It just still stings when it gets bumped."

"Well, it looks okay, but we'll keep an eye on it, and you're going to your doctor tomorrow."

"Yes, Doctor Yuu-ri," Victor said, smirking, "Now, would you like to _operate_?"

" _No_!" Yuuri laughed, pushing him away.

"But I like to play doctor with you," Victor objected, batting his eyelashes, "There is no one I trust more completely with my body."

"Oh geez…would you just get dressed, please?" Yuuri pleaded, "Tora's probably done showering. We should go and make sure she's all right."

"Are _you_ all right?" Victor asked, taking on a more serious expression.

"Me?" Yuuri repeated, giving him a curious look, "I wasn't kidnapped or…or directly threatened with a gun today. I think I'm fine compared to you and Tora."

"Well, you did have to drag our daughter out of the line of fire. It looked like something out of the movies, and this time, you didn't get shot doing that."

"Lucky for us."

"Lucky for us," Victor repeated, moving in closer and kissing him on the lips, "I just want you to let me know if you feel anxious or have times when you're afraid, Yuuri. This didn't just happen to Tora and me, it happened to all of us. I think we'll all need time and love to make things feel normal again."

"I'm okay," Yuuri assured him, "Maybe I will have worries sometimes, but I'll tell you. I know you're there for me, just like I'm here for you."

"Good."

The two dressed and left the bedroom, and they found Sava and Tora in the kitchen, and good smells rising in the air. Tora smiled.

"I told Mr. Sava that I was hungry after my shower. I didn't get lunch at school and it's after dinnertime. Oh, Vaska's mom called and said that Nico is spending the night with them. He was crying on the phone, though, and asking if we were okay. Nico was really worried about us."

"He's a kind-hearted boy," Victor said approvingly, "I'm glad we adopted him."

"We didn't adopt him!" Yuuri snapped, "Were' hosting him!"

"Details," Victor said off-handedly, "He's living with us and training with us. The boy is family. Speaking of which, when is the wedding?"

Tora snorted and started giggling and Yuuri blinked and stared blankly at his husband for a moment.

"For Tolenka and Kolenka!" Victor teased.

"Stop it. You're ridiculous!" Yuuri said, slapping him on the arm, then giving him a shocked look and paling as Victor winced and yelped, "Oh, sorry! I forgot about your arm. Sorry! Sorry! I'm really sorry, Victor!"

"I know you're mad, _solnyshko_ , but do you have to try to kill me?"

"I'm not trying to kill you! I was just mad and…and I forgot that arm was…"

"Will you kiss it and make it better, Yuu-ri?"

"Ahem," Tora said, "I think it's time for dinner, if you children would stop messing around."

The four sat down at the table, relaxing into a more natural calm as the talked and laughed while enjoying the meal that Sava and Tora had made. After their meal, Victor and Yuuri curled up on the couch with Tora sitting beside them. Sava came into the room sometime later and found them sleeping with Yuuri in Victor's arms and Tora collapsed against Yuuri's side. He smiled and turned off the lights and TV and left the room to quietly stand guard.


	35. Firecracker!

**Chapter 35: FIRECRACKER!**

 **(Inspired by Josh Turner's song _Firecracker_ )**

 _ **Victoria's Debut**_

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 **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing _Victoria_! Just to let you know, I have a bridge story planned that will cover the conception and birth of the "Yuuri baby" with Yuko, then I will be writing another full length sequel that will focus on Victoria's entrance into the junior's competition. Stay tuned! Love you all so much and I know I'm not the only one anxiously awaiting the YOI movie. Let's crank up the excitement!**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"What's that look on your face?" Victor asked, smiling at Tora as the two stood near the entrance to the ice rink, "Are you all right, Tora?"

Tora swallowed hard, looking around the ice rink at the rows of excited fans who had gathered for the exhibition skate.

"I…think I'm a little nervous," she admitted, putting a hand over her heart for a moment, "There's so many people out there! When Kolenka and I did our exhibition skate, there were a lot less people watching."

"Don't be nervous, Tora-chan," Yuuri said, smirking, "I have more to be nervous about than you. Victor will be lifting me during our skate and his shoulder still isn't full strength."

"I said I won't drop you," Victor chided him.

"Well, you dropped me during practice," Yuuri pointed out.

He gave Tora a meaningful look.

"You're going to do fine, Tora-chan. You and Kolenka have practiced so hard for this."

"Just go out and do your best," Victor said, bending to place a kiss on the top of her head.

"I will, Daddy!" Tora promised, grabbing him and hugging him tightly.

"Am I here in time?" a feminine voice asked from behind them.

The three turned to see the woman they had known as Detective Daniels approaching them.

"Aunt Antonia!" Tora cried, running to her and hugging her carefully to avoid her arm that was still in a dark colored sling, "I didn't know if you would be able to come. I'm so glad you're here!"

"I told you to call me Aunt Toni now," Antonia corrected her, "Hello Tora. It's good to see you. You look so beautiful!"

"You like it?" Tora said, turning to show off the lovely red skating dress she was wearing, "Daddy had it made to match the one that Mommy wore when she and Daddy skated this program."

"It looks… _perfect_!" Toni sighed, her eyes misting, "You look so much like her right now. It's almost like getting to see my sister again. There is so much of Sage in you."

Tora's smile warmed and her slim body relaxed slightly.

"Where is your skating partner?" Toni asked, looking around, "I don't see Nico."

"I'm here!" Kolenka announced breathlessly as he charged into the preparation area and earned a scathing look from Victor, who gave him a quick scolding in Russian, "S-sorry! Tolenka and I were trying to get this on, but the waist tie…"

"Come here," Victor sighed reprovingly, bending slightly to fix the youth's costume, "There. It's not so hard, _da_?"

"No," Kolenka said, giving him a sheepish look, "I guess not."

"So," Tora said saucily, "what were you and Tolenka _really_ doing that made you late?"

"I don't think we have time to be worrying about that," Yuuri said quickly, taking Victor's arm, "Look, they're about ready to start. Victor, we're up first. C'mon."

Victor nodded and slipped an arm around Yuuri as the two waited for the announcer to introduce them, then they skated out to center ice and took their positions.

"You look beautiful _solnyshko_ ," Victor breathed into Yuuri's ear as he took his position, which put the two men in a gentle embrace, "I'm so glad we're here and everything is all right now."

"Me too," Yuuri agreed.

"Ready?" Victor whispered.

"I'm ready," Yuuri answered, smiling.

The music began and Victor led his smiling partner into an outward turn, then the two moved in a half circle together before taking up a formal dance position. They executed a lovely display of graceful steps, then Victor lifted Yuuri up and over his head, looking up at him as he turned in a circle, then let Yuuri down and the two continued the rest of the step sequence before returning to each others' arms.

"Thanks for not dropping me," Yuuri mouthed, earning an enchanting smile and a little giggle from his husband as the two moved together for a few moments more before Victor turned and launched Yuuri into a beautiful jump that made the audience gasp and clap enthusiastically. The two executed side-by-side spins, then gathered speed before executing side-by-side quadruple flips then triple toe loops.

"I don't know for how much longer I'll be able to do those," Victor panted softly into Yuuri's ear as he skated in behind his husband and embraced him.

"We'll enjoy it while it lasts," Yuuri whispered back, releasing Victor's hand so that the two could finish the program with a final dazzle of fast steps, a pretty spin then a graceful turn into each other's arms to finish in the same embrace they had started with.

The two smiled and waved at the cheering crowd before skating back to the entrance, holding hands and sending Yurio and Tolenka out to perform together. Tora ran up to the two, giving them each a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"That was so beautiful!" she gushed, "You're both _amazing_!"

"Those two are pretty amazing too," Kolenka said appreciatively as he watched his boyfriend and Yurio skating together.

"Hey!" Victor snapped playfully, clapping his hands close to Kolenka and startling him, "You are going to be skating with your sister."

Yuuri rolled his eyes and sighed, shaking his head.

"I don't want you out there, thinking about your next date with that boy and dropping her. Focus, Kolenka. I will kill you if you embarrass Tora, yourself or me out there."

"He's getting a little intense," Toni whispered to Yuuri, sighed and rolled his eyes again.

"He's just being Victor."

"I'm not going to embarrass anyone," Kolenka said confidently, giving Tora a little wink that made her giggle behind her hand, "Tora and I have put in a lot of practice for this. Coach Victor, we're going to make you proud."

Victor broke into a wide, dashing smile.

"That's what I like to hear!" he said enthusiastically, "I _knew_ there was a reason we adopted you!"

"We didn't adopt him," Yuuri said dryly, "We're _hosting_ him."

"Whatever," Victor huffed, waving him off, "Take that confidence out there and show the world what you showed me in our viral video skating and they are going to love you both."

"Should he really be reminding Yuuri-san about that viral video of Kolenka and him?" Tora whispered to Toni, "Yuuri-san might make him sleep on the couch again."

"I wonder if things like that even occur to Victor," Toni chuckled, "The man is a genius on the ice, but he's pretty hopeless off of it."

"But if Daddy wasn't the way he is," Tora said thoughtfully, "I might not have been born."

She glanced at Victor and Yuuri and narrowed her eyes, leaning closer to Toni to say more.

"And we might not be going to Japan so Yuuri-san could make a baby with his old friend, Yu-chan."

Toni gave the girl a baffled look.

"Yuuri is going to…?"

Tora stifled a laugh.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean it like that. He's not going to…to do…um, what my dad and mom did. They have some way to…"

The girl blushed and stopped in the middle of her sentence, giggling.

"I get it," Toni said, recovering slightly, "Well, that's good. Then, you will have a little sister or brother."

"Or _more_ than one," Tora exclaimed softly, because there are twins in Yu-chan's family _and_ in Yuuri-san's family, just not his _family_ family."

"You mean, his immediate family," Toni instructed her.

"Yeah," Tora agreed.

She gave her aunt a cheerful smile.

"This mean you're going to have more nieces or nephews, right?" she inquired.

"That's right," Toni agreed, giving Tora a look that was both happy and sad.

"You know," Tora said, reading her expression, "you _could_ come to live with us, now that everything is okay. Daddy invited you, didn't he?"

"He did," Toni affirmed, "and I will think about it."

"You helped us so much, Aunt Toni," Tora said, hugging her, "Daddy says that we all might have been killed if it wasn't for you."

"I wasn't going to let anyone hurt you," Toni said, patting Tora's cheek affectionately, "Protecting you is like protecting a little bit of my sister that is still here."

"I miss Mommy too," Tora sighed, "but when I skate, it's like I can feel the way I did when she used to watch me. And it's funny now, because I used to think she was just looking at me that way because she loved me."

"Oh? And what do you think now?" Toni asked, following her gaze to where Yuuri was scolding Victor for something he had said to Kolenka.

"I think when Mommy watched me skate, she was thinking that she really did love my Daddy and she wished she could have told him about me."

Toni's eyes locked on Victor as the Russian skater tried to soothe his annoyed husband out of confining him to the couch yet again.

"I think you're right about that. Victor is a very special person. I'm sure that you, Kolenka and Yuuri all know that."

"Mmhmmm."

Tora's eyes narrowed again more playfully like Victor's sometimes did.

"But sometimes, he steps over a line and we have to scold him or do something back to him."

"Oh," Toni snickered, "you look like you're up to something. What's going on?"

"Just wait until the end of my skate with Kolenka. You'll see," Tora answered cryptically.

She left her curious aunt looking after her and hurried to meet Kolenka at the entrance to the ice. They waited as Yurio and Tolenka exited the ice, then they skated out to the middle and took up their positions. Victor leaned on the ice rink wall, his blue-green eyes fixed on the two as the music began.

 _It's almost like being back there again_ , Victor mused inwardly, _Just a stupid boy and a reckless girl who loved the ice and simply collided with each other. That one beautiful day and night that Sage and I spent together has a lasting beauty that I see every time I look at Tora. I used to think that what was between us didn't last because it wasn't meant to be, but that doesn't give us the credit we deserve for doing something that, in the long run, was very right. Sage and I couldn't offer each other a lifetime, so that day, we gave each other a living gift that first blessed Sage's life and now blesses mine. Our time together came and went, but love that is real is never truly lost. Tora is evidence of that. That one day was real and it changed the courses of many lives. I have no doubt that Tora will go on to change even more lives._

 _What more could any parent want?_

"Are you okay?" Yuuri asked, bringing Victor out of his thoughts.

"Yes," Victor said, slipping a hand into his and squeezing it gently, "I am fine."

"They look beautiful out there," Yuuri said proudly.

"They do," Victor agreed.

 _There is so much of both Sage and me in Tora. I see it in every part of her…her hair that's like mine, her face that's more like her mother's, the way she connects so well with her partner, like Sage did, the way her body moves when she jumps that's more like me. And I see something else that wasn't there before…in the way she is with people since she came to live with us. I think…that Tora has inherited Yuuri's gentle, kind heart. She is definitely different for having been cared for and loved by him. I'm so very grateful._

 _I can't wait to have a cute little Yuuri baby and to see his happy face when he sees himself in his child. I know he believes that he has made an impression as Tora's father, and that might be enough, but I am less selfless and humble than Yuuri, so I want him to have a Yuuri baby too._

Victor smiled as Yuuri sighed and leaned contentedly against him as the two watched Kolenka and Tora spin, then move into side-by-side pirouettes and a last jump before returning to each others' arms to take their closing position. Happy, proud tears filled Victor and Yuuri's eyes at the lovely roar of the gathered audience as Tora and Kolenka waved and bowed.

Then, instead of leaving the ice, they turned back to the center, tearing off their outer costumes to reveal costumes they had hidden underneath. Victor and Yuuri blinked and stared for a moment, then Victor's blue-green eyes rounded in shock as the music started.

"No!" he gasped, his teeth clenching, "No way they are…!"

Yuuri's jaw dropped as Tora and Kolenka began dancing together to the country tune, engaging in an eye popping display of flashy steps and suggestive moves.

"This is their surprise?" he whispered too quietly for Victor to hear as the Russian skater who loosed a burst of Russian curses and started towards the ice, only to be grabbed and held back by Yurio, Tolenka and Otabek as Tora and Kolenka continued their shockingly sensual program.

"Oh, no you don't!" Yurio snickered, "You've had this coming for how you humiliated me in Hasetsu!"

"What? You still hold a grudge for that?" Victor panted, twisting to try to get free, "You little bastard. You helped them. You were in on this!"

Yurio shrugged and smirked.

"It was your little demon's idea, not mine," he snorted, "She brought me the copy of you and her mother doing this. Like father, like daughter, eh Victor?"

"We were at an afterparty and _drunk off our asses_!" Victor steamed, "Can you believe this, Yuuri?"

He looked back at Yuuri and found him frozen and staring in a mix of piqued wonder and dismay.

The two encountered another hard shock as Kolenka and Tora gathered speed, then Kolenka wrapped an arm around Tora and threw her into a perfect triple jump.

"Where the hell did she learn that jump?" Victor shouted, "I didn't teach her that jump! What the hell are those two doing? I'm stopping this right now!"

"No," Yuuri said sternly, breaking out of his entranced state and grabbing a surprised Victor by the arm, "you're not."

"She could get hurt, Yuuri," Victor argued, "There's no way she's ready to…"

"She's doing _exactly_ what you were doing when you were her age," Yuuri said, still staring as the two skaters continued to perform for the laughing, cheering crowd, "She's testing her limits as a skater. And I know for a fact that she was careful to learn those moves from someone who knows how to teach them. And it was just for this performance."

"She's trying to _kill_ me!" Victor snapped sulkily, "She'll put me in an early grave, Yuuri. And _you_! You were in on this. You knew about this, didn't you?"

"I didn't know what exactly they were planning," Yuuri corrected him, "They just said that it was a surprise for you."

"And you didn't even think to spy on them and see what it was?"

Yuuri scowled.

"I'm not sneaky like you," he huffed.

"Well, I'm not as trusting as you and look at that!"

Yuuri stunned his husband into silence with a sweet smile.

"I am looking, and if you do, then you'll know that Tora is so much like you that you aren't going to be able to control what she does. Sometimes she's going to defy you, but look at _how_ she defies you."

"What?" Victor mused, blinking and staring at his daughter's bold display on the ice as she turned in time to the music, swinging her hip out and wiggling her bottom, making Kolenka grab his chest and collapse dramatically onto the ice as she skated by him and grabbed his hand to help him up again.

"She idolizes you, her mom, me, Kolenka…it's all there."

Victor's expression softened and his breaths slowed as the pair on the ice finished with a final swift set of graceful steps, then Tora jumped nimbly into Kolenka's waiting arms, bringing the crowd to its feet and filling the arena with their excited cheers.

"Beautiful," Victor managed in a very soft, enchanted voice, "but…I am still killing them both when we get home."

"You won't do anything like that," Yuuri chided him, "unless you want to be sleeping on the couch for _a month_."

"That's not nice, Yuuri," Victor sulked, "You let them humiliate me in front of everyone with that drunken dance and…"

"And the crowd couldn't take their eyes off of her," Yuuri said, blinking back happy tears as Tora skated towards them, laughing and maneuvering around the flowers being thrown onto the rink.

Kolenka hung back while Tora threw herself into Victor's arms and hugged him tightly.

"Surprise, Daddy! Did you love it?"

Yuuri shot Victor a hard look of warning, then it softened as he realized that he needn't have worried. Victor hugged Tora back as the crowd continued to clap and cheer, stamping their feet on the floor and chanting for an encore.

"Do you hear that?" Victor asked, "They love you, just like I love you. And even though I'm taking your skates away as punishment for a week after this…"

"What? Daddy!" Tora objected.

"We will give them an encore performance they won't forget."

"Huh?" the stymied girl said, giving him a perplexed look.

Victor took his daughter's hand, then Yuuri's and nodded for the still anxious looking Kolenka to join them at center ice. In moments, the arena went silent as Victor had the music cued, then led his family to the ice. Victor took up a dance position with Tora and Yuuri and Kolenka lined up on either side of them.

"We've danced like this before," Victor said softly, "Just follow my lead like we do when we do this in practice."

The music began and Victor led Tora in a short exchange of pretty steps before turning and sending her out to continue with Yuuri, while he grabbed Kolenka around the waist, making the youth blush with surprise as they danced together before changing partners again so that Tora was dancing with Kolenka and Victor was with Yuuri. And having watched Victor Nikiforov for so many years, Yuuri could hear his husband's thoughts as loudly as if Victor had spoken them.

 _This is our family._

 _This is our home on the ice._

 _This is our love that we want to share with everyone._

 _Look at us._

 _Love us back._

 _Please…remember us._


End file.
